Premature death rates spike for whites.

• Position: Mortality

Premature death rates have declined in the U.S. among Hispanics, blacks, and Asian/Pacific Islanders (APIs)--in line with trends in Canada and the United Kingdom--but increased among whites and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/ANs), reveals a comprehensive study of the entire U.S. population from 1999-2014. This divergence was reported by the National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Md., and the College of Nursing at the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.

Declining rates of premature death (i.e., deaths among 25- to 64-year-olds) among Hispanics, blacks, and APIs mainly were due to fewer deaths from cancer, heart disease, and HIV over the time period of the study. The decline reflects successes in public health efforts to reduce tobacco use and medical advances to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Whites also experienced fewer premature deaths from cancer and, for most ages, fewer deaths from heart disease over the study period. Despite these substantial improvements, overall premature death rates still remained higher for black men and women than for whites.

In contrast, overall premature death rates for whites and AI/ANs...