NEW YORK, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Life expectancy in New York City has shot up by 19 months since 2001, exceeding national gains, city officials said Monday.
Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas A. Farley said life expectancy has reached 82 years for women and 76.3 years for men.
The finding, published in the city health department's Annual Summary of Vital Statistics, concluded the overall death rate remained at a historic low and deaths from many preventable causes declined.
The citywide death rate was 6.5 deaths per 1,000 people in 2008 -- almost 20 percent lower than the national death rate of 8.1 per 1,000 in 2006, the most recent year on record.
Between 2007 and 2008, deaths due to HIV fell by 4 percent in New York, drug-related deaths dropped by 13 percent and cardiovascular disease claimed 284 fewer lives. Heart disease and cancer remained the city's biggest killers, claiming 21,192 lives and 13,047 lives, respectively, in 2008.
"Helping people live longer, better lives is the core responsibility of government, which is why nearly every initiative we take on is focused on that goal," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said at a news conference. "The steady, continued increase in life expectancy demonstrates the remarkable progress we have made and the need to continue to press forward with bold health policies."
