Longevity Alert

"These sobering statistics are a wake-up call that we are losing too many Americans, too early and too often, to conditions that are preventable."
Dr. Robert Redfield, director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

"I really do believe that people are increasingly [feeling] hopeless, and that that leads to drug use, it leads potentially to suicide."
Dr. William Dietz, disease prevention expert, George Washington University

"Maybe it's starting to slow down [drug overdose epidemic], but it hasn't turned around yet."
"I think it will take several years [yet, before a difference is seen]."
Dr. John Rowe, professor of health policy and aging, Columbia University

Erika Marble visits the gravesite of Edward Martin III, her fiance and the father of her two children, in Littleton, N.H., in 2016. The 28-year old died in 2014 of an overdose of the opioid fentanyl. (Jim Cole/AP)

The Associated Press through VoteCast, took a wide-ranging survey of the electorate discovering pessimistic views about the future among voters. Roughly half of nationwide voters stated their belief that life in America for the following generation would be worse than what is seen today, and close to a quarter felt life would be better, while the same number said it would remain the same. Over 115,000 voters were surveyed nationally when American citizens cast their ballots in this year's midterm elections.

There were over 2.8 million U.S. deaths in 2017 which means there were 70,000 more deaths occurring last year than did in the year before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest report on U.S. life expectancy. 2017 ranked as the year with the most deaths to have occurred in a single year since government began taking account of such statistics over a century ago. The increase is partially attributed to the nation's growing aging population.

However, younger age groups, in particular middle-aged people, have seen the largest impact on life expectancy calculations, according to experts. The crux of this reality is that last year's suicide death rate represented the highest that has been recorded in the last half-century. Over 47,000 suicides were tracked, an increase from slightly under 45,000 of the year before. U.S. life expectancy has been on the increase for decades, rising several months almost every year, and now the trend has been reversed.

In 2015 the suicide rate was seen to have fallen, the following year levelled off, and then in 2017 there was yet another decline. This represents the longest period of a declining life expectancy rate since the late 1920s, when the First World War and the most serious flu pandemic in modern history coincided, killing close to one million Americans between them. In 1918 life expectancy was 39 years of age. "We've never really seen anything like this" commented Robert Anderson, who oversees CDC death statistics.

Only the cancer death rate alone fell in 2017, while increases were seen in seven other indices; suicide, stroke, diabetes, Alzheimer's, flu/pneumonia, chronic lower respiratory diseases and unintentional injuries. The death rate for heart disease -- recognized as the nation's number one killer -- has stopped falling, whereas in years past, declines in heart disease deaths were significant enough to offset increases in other kinds of death, but that no longer applies.

Dr. William Dietz recognizes from his expertise in disease prevention, an overall sense of hopelessness overtaking people's consciousness as a likely cause of some part of the increase in suicide. He cites financial struggles, a widening income gap, and divisive politics casting a pall over many people. Drug overdose deaths continued to climb as well, surpassing 70,000 in 2017, reflective of the deadliest drug overdose epidemic in U.S. history.

In that category the death rate rose ten percent from the previous year; less than the 21 percent leap between 2016 and 2017. Accidental drug overdoses account for over a third of the unintentional injury deaths while intentional drug overdoses take account for about a tenth of the suicides, according to Dr. Holly Hedegaard, injury researcher at the Centers for Disease Control. As well, gun deaths rose for a third year to nearly 40,000, 1,000 more than 2015, from their 33,500 height until a few years ago.

Suicide Rates by Race/Ethnicity

In 2016, the highest U.S. suicide rate (15.17) was among Whites and the second highest rate (13.37) was among American Indians and Alaska Natives (Figure 5). Much lower and roughly similar rates were found among Asians and Pacific Islanders (6.62), and Black or African Americans (6.03).
Note that the CDC records Hispanic origin separately from the primary racial or ethnic groups of White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, and Asian or Pacific Islander, since individuals in all of these groups may also be Hispanic.