More life expectancy statistics

Continuing from yesterday.

• In 2003, the preliminary age-adjusted death rate in the US reached a record low of 831.2 deaths per 100,000 population.
• Age-adjusted death rates declined for eight of the 15 leading causes of death. Heart disease and cancer, two leading causes of death in the US, saw declines of 3.6% and 2.2% respectively. Other causes of death that experienced declines were stroke (4.6%), suicide (3.7%), flu/pneumonia (3.1%), chronic liver disease and cirrhosis (2.1%) and accidents/unintentional injuries (2.2%).
• The infant mortality rate dropped slightly, from 7 death per 1000 live births in 2002 to 6.9 in 2003.
• The firearm mortality rate dropped 3% between 2002 and 2003.
• The preliminary age-adjusted death rate for HIV declined by 4.1% between 2002 and 2003.
• Age-adjusted death rates from alcohol dropped by 4.3% between 2002 and 2003. The rate for drug-related deaths fell by 3.3% during that same time period.
• Mortality rates increased for deaths caused by Alzheimer's disease, kidney disease, hypertension and Parkinson's disease.