AIDS death rate drops 4.1% in 2003

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that U.S. deaths from AIDS dropped by 4.1% in 2003, marking the eighth consecutive year of declining death rates, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to the CDC, the life expectancy of U.S. adults hit a record high of 77.6 years in 2003 due to falling death rates linked to cancer, heart disease, and other conditions. The average life expectancy for white women in 2003 was 80.5 years; for African-American women, 76.1 years; for white men, 75.4 years; and for African-American men, 69.2 years.