US life expectancy at birth was 78.6 years in 2017, slipping over the past three years due to suicides and drug overdoses, according to a report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. Age-adjusted all-cause mortality rates were both 6% lower for men and women in 2017 than in 2007, with heart disease, cancer and unintentional injuries as the leading causes of death, while infant mortality fell by 14% over the same period. Meanwhile, the overdose mortality rate rose 82%, and the overall US suicide rate increased by 24%.

HealthDay News (10/30),  Becker's Clinical Leadership & Infection Control (10/30)