Black, white life expectancy gap closing in

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(CBS News) The life expectancy gap between whites and blacks is narrowing in the United States.

Analyzed data from the U.S. National Vital Statistics System, published in the June 6 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that from 2003 and 2008, the life expectancy at birth for non-Hispanic black men rose from 68.8 to 70.8 years and for non-Hispanic white men rose from 75.3 to 76.2 years . These new statistics lowered the differences in the average lifespans for both group from 6.5 years to 5.4 years.

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Improvements in  racial disparities of  women's lifespans were also reported. Non-Hispanic white women's life expectancy from 2003 to 2008 went up from 80.3 to 81.2 years and for non-Hispanic black women, increased from 75.7 to 77.5 years, cutting the difference from 4.6 to 3.7 years.

Elizabeth Arias, a demographer with the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Md., told the Los Angeles Times that the new numbers are huge improvements from when the data was first compiled in 1900. Back then, the gap was 14 years. An average black man could expect to live 32.5 years and a black woman would have 33.5 birthdays. On the other hand, white men and women lived an average of 46.3 years and 48.3 years respectively.

Between 2003 and 2008, the leading cause of death in all men was heart disease - 22 percent  of deaths- and homicide - 19 percent. For women, they were more likely to die from heart disease - 29 percent - or diabetes - 11 percent.

The researchers said that the gap decrease was thanks to more improvements in the lives of black men and women and some disturbing trends that were increasing in white men and women, even though everyone's overall lifespan increased.

While heart disease, diabetes, homicide, HIV and infant mortality remain the categories which separate black and white lifespans the most according to the study, black communities made major strides in lessening the number of occurrences in many of those areas. Lower rates of unintentional injury deaths (such as car accidents), HIV-deaths and heart disease were the top three reasons why black men's lifespans improved. For black women, less heart disease deaths and unintentional injury fatalities led to more years. HIV, diabetes, and stroke-related deaths also helped close the discrepancy.

However, more white women and especially white men died from an overdose from prescription medication - known as poisoning mortalities. Poisonings outnumbered the number of motor vehicle accidents for the first time in 2008.

[Starseed21]

FIRST OF ALL WHAT IN THE HELL IS A NON-HISPANIC BLACK OR WHITE WOMAN???? AND WHERE DO THEY COME UP WITH THESE DESCRIPTIONS, WAS IT TO HARD TO SIMPLY SAY BLACK,WHITE OR HISPANIC?

[cstowe001]

Where did these statistics come from? The CDC has very different numbers on their website...

[jmach6677]

The reason why the gap is narrowing is because white america has ceased to exist and now white adolescence have taken on the habits, traits, defects and violence that the black race was noted for, and before you get all worked up on the racist tip study the stats, Its a sad fact but black lead in violence, disease,especially heart disease,Diabetes,COPD, STDs except AIDS which is still a white male phenomenon, but since the white culture has been swallowed up by black culture the same downfall awaits white america.

[soulsurvival]

The original human came out of Africa, so believe it or not, your heritage is also Black African. It takes generations to develop a functioning society and those cultures which have been oppressed for hundreds of years, may take a few generations to fit into the mainstream. I am in my sixties and was not able to get the education or opportunities that the white population took for granted until I was an adult. Remember it was the blacks that had the the most advanced cultures until they were conquered by the savage northern tribes. Any cultures that are reduced to non-human status for hundred of years and forced to eat the masters left overs, and deal with the stess of enslavement will develop more heart disease, diabetes, copd etc. than those more fortunate.
The majority of most new aids cases are in black communities because the focus is not on helping the communities most in need partly because of ignorance such as you have exhibited in your comments.
You, my dear friend, are a racist whether you accept the moniker or not.