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Changes in Premature Mortality -- United States, 1979-1986
Premature mortality in the United States, as measured in total
years of potential life lost (YPLL) before age 65 (1), has been
analyzed for data collected annually since 1979.* The overall trend
from 1979 to 1986 was toward lower YPLL and YPLL rates, even though
the number and rate of YPLL increased from 1984 to 1986 (Table V,
page
45).
The total number of YPLL decreased by 6.0%, and the rate of
YPLL
per 1,000 persons fell by 13.3% during the period 1979-1986 (Table
1).
The greatest absolute rate decline from 1979 to 1986 was in YPLL
due
to unintentional injuries (Figure 1). The ranking of the leading
causes of YPLL changed only slightly from 1979 to 1986, with the
exception of the addition of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) (Table 1). Fewer than five AIDS deaths were recorded in
1979;
however, by 1986, AIDS had become the eighth leading cause of YPLL
and
accounted for 2.0% of total YPLL.
From 1979 to 1986, the rate of YPLL decreased for ten of the
leading causes of death and increased for three. Unintentional
injuries accounted for the largest portion of the decrease (30.0%)
among the causes of death with rate decreases. Most of the decline
in
injuries occurred between 1980 and 1982 and is attributable to a
decrease in motor vehicle-related deaths in the 15- to 24-year age
group. Prematurity (respiratory distress syndrome and disorders
relating to short gestation and unspecified low birthweight) had
the
largest relative decline in rate of YPLL per 1,000 persons. In
large
part, this decline was due to a greater than one-third reduction in
the rate of infant deaths due to respiratory distress syndrome.
Prematurity (um-17.4%) and diseases of the heart (um-14.0%)
followed
injuries in contributing to the overall decline in YPLL rates from
1979 to 1986.
Reported by: Epidemiologic Studies Br, Div of Surveillance and
Epidemiologic Studies, Epidemiology Program Office, CDC.
Reference
Centers for Disease Control. Premature mortality in the United
States: public health issues in the use of years of potential
life
lost. MMWR 1986;35(suppl 2S).
*The period for which U.S. mortality data coded according to the
International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, (ICD-9)
are
available.
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