U.S. life expectancy drops for first time in over 20 years

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) just released their annual report this week, and there was some good news mixed with a fairly surprising fact: For the first time since 1993, Americans’ life expectancy has actually decreased and is now lower than Canada, Germany, France and other developed countries.

The life expectancy of U.S. residents in 2015 declined by 0.1 years to 78.8. While this figure isn't drastic, it is making news since its the first drop in life expectancy in more than two decades.

The 10 leading causes of death in 2015 remained the same as in 2014. Age-adjusted

The focus on cancer related drugs and treatments by drug makers is partially attributable to the reduced death rate to this disease.

In 2015, the 10 leading causes of death (heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory diseases, unintentional injuries, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney disease, and suicide) remained the same as in 2014. The 10 leading causes accounted for 74.2% of all deaths in the United States in 2015.

Women are still living longer than men. In 2015, women live 4.9 years longer than men, an increase of .01 year in 2015.

To read their complete report, visit the CDC website.