US population life expectancy hits all-time high

[AngryAmish]

There are so many interesting tidbits here:

For example "The preliminary estimate of life expectancy at birth for the total population in 2004 reached a record high of 77.9 years" (If I am rerading this correctly, everyone now alive can expect to live, on average until age 77.9. It looks like something has to be done with Social Security.)

And The 15 leading causes of death in 2004 (Table 2) were:

Diseases of heart (heart disease);
Malignant neoplasms (cancer);
Cerebrovascular diseases (stroke);
Chronic lower respiratory diseases;
Accidents (unintentional injuries);
Diabetes mellitus (diabetes);
Alzheimer’s disease;
Influenza and pneumonia;
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis (kidney disease;
Septicemia;
Intentional self-harm (suicide);
Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis;
Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease (hypertension);
Parkinson’s disease; and
Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids.
(where is HIV?)

Anyway, this is unmitigated good news.

[enigma000]

1. Doesn't it mean life expectancy at point of birth?

If you are 50 years of age, it stands to reason your life expectancy would be higher than life expectancy point of birth, considering you have lived this long.

[HereSince1628]

2. If people can continue to afford health care this may be realized

But I think the baby-boomers are actually looking at future with less coverage, less treatment, and more unrealized years of life.

[AngryAmish]

3. Boomers will get their care

They will just make the rest of us pay for it. Yet will they pay for the elderly or poor today? No f'n way.

[HereSince1628]

4. Yeah, the baby-boomers have never paid for anything and never will

:eyes: