Life expectancy rises, Alzheimer's deaths mount

By Will Dunham

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. life expectancy hit a record high of 78.1 years in 2006 while Alzheimer's disease crept up a notch to No. 6 on the list of leading causes of death, U.S. health officials said on Wednesday.

Rates for 14 of the top 15 causes of death fell in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a report. Influenza and pneumonia deaths had the steepest drop, at 13 percent, compared to the previous year.

The life expectancy at birth of 78.1 years was up from a then-record of 77.8 years in 2005, continuing a rise going back decades, the CDC said.

Life expectancy for women (80.7 years) continued to exceed that for men (75.4 years). Racial disparities persisted as well, with white women's life expectancy at 81 years compared to 76.9 for black women and white men's life expectancy at 76 years compared to 70 for black men.

Infant mortality fell in 2006 to 6.7 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, down from 6.9 per 1,000 in 2005, according to the CDC. It still remains higher than many rich nations.

Heart disease, which killed 629,191 people, and cancer, which killed 560,102 people, remained the two top causes of death, followed by stroke, chronic lower respiratory diseases such as emphysema and accidents.

STEADY RISE EXPECTED

Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia in the elderly, leapfrogged diabetes to become the sixth-leading cause of death, killing 72,914 Americans in 2006.