Current Trends
Update: Years of Potential Life Lost Before Age 65 --
United States, 1988 and 1989
Final mortality data from CDC's National Center for Health
Statistics (NCHS) indicate that in 1988 deaths in the United
States accounted for 12,276,554 years of potential life lost
before age 65 (YPLL) (Table 1)--a total consistent with
provisional data reported previously (12,281,741 YPLL (1)).
Provisional data indicate that for 1989 there were 12,370,499
YPLL.
From 1988 to 1989, the YPLL rate for U.S. residents of all ages
decreased 0.2%, from 4994 YPLL per 100,000 persons to 4983 per
100,000, respectively. In 1989, unintentional injuries remained
the leading cause of YPLL (18%), followed by cancers at all sites
(15%), suicide and homicide (12%), diseases of the heart (11%),
congenital anomalies (5%), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (5%).
From 1988 to 1989, YPLL decreased for seven causes of death and
increased for six (Table 1). The YPLL rate decreased 8% for
diseases of the heart, 7% for cerebrovascular disease, and 6%
each for pneumonia/influenza, chronic liver disease and
cirrhosis, and unintentional injuries. YPLL increased 25% for HIV
infection/AIDS, 14% for prematurity, 6% for diabetes mellitus, 4%
for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 4% for suicide and
homicide. In 1989, suicide and homicide together were the third
leading cause of YPLL, compared with fourth in 1988.
Reported by: Applications Br, Div of Surveillance and
Epidemiology, Epidemiology Program Office, CDC.
Editorial Note
Editorial Note: Crude death rates weight all deaths equally
(i.e., the rates provide an estimate of the proportion of a
population that dies during a specific period); in comparison,
YPLL emphasizes deaths among younger persons and provides a
measure of the burden of premature mortality (2). YPLL decreased
steadily from 1979 through 1987; however, the 1% increase from
1987 to 1988 (1) and the small decrease from 1988 to 1989 suggest
that premature mortality has been stable during the past 3 years.
In 1989, the increase in YPLL associated with HIV
infection/AIDS reflected the growing impact of HIV infection and
AIDS mortality on young adults (3). The recent increase in YPLL
for homicide and suicide indicates the increased occurrence of
these problems in adolescents and/or young adults, particularly
black males (4).
References
CDC. Years of potential life lost before ages 65 and
85--United States, 1987 and 1988. MMWR 1990;39:20-2.
CDC. Premature mortality in the United States. MMWR
1986;35(no. 2S).
CDC. Mortality attributable to HIV infection/AIDS--United
States, 1981-1990. MMWR 1991;40:41-4.
CDC. Homicide among young black males--United States,
1978-1987. MMWR 1990;39:869-73.
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