U.S. Life Expectancy at All-Time High but Men Still Lag Behind

Article here. Excerpt:

'Americans are living nearly two-and-a-half months longer, according to new life expectancy statistics released today. In 2007, life expectancy in the United States reached a high of nearly 78 years, up from 77.7 a year earlier.

Life expectancy in the United States has been on the rise for a decade, increasing 1.4 years — from 76.5 years in 1997 to 77.9 in 2007, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The life expectancy data, compiled by the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics, are based on nearly 90 percent of the death certificates filed in the United States.
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The report found that both men and women are living longer, although a gap of five years remains between men and women. In 2007, average life expectancy was 80.4 years for women, but 75.3 years for men. Although men still die younger than women, the gap has narrowed slightly. In 1979, women outlived men by nearly eight years.'