CDC: Mortality rate declining among aging boomers

10 may 2015—A new study finds mixed results for the health of America's aging "Baby Boom" generation, with nearly half of people ages 55 to 64 taking a prescription cardiovascular drug and about one in five dealing with diabetes. However, the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also finds that the overall mortality rate in this age group has gone down over the past decade.

The new data comes from an annual report from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, looking at 2014 statistics on the health of all Americans. This year, the CDC zeroed in on adults ages 55 to 64, who form the core of the "Boomer" generation. On average, people in this age range can expect to live anywhere from another 19 to 27 years. But they also face a growing risk of developing chronic health problems, the agency said.

Between 2009 and 2012, an estimated 19 percent of adults ages 55 to 64 had diabetes, 40 percent were obese, and 51 percent had hypertension—numbers the CDC said haven't changed from statistics taken a decade before. Due in large part to the prevalence of these chronic conditions, use of prescription drugs is high. In 2009 to 2012, approximately 45 percent of adults in this age group took a prescription cardiovascular drug, about 32 percent took a cholesterol-lowering drug, 16 percent used prescription drugs for gastric reflux, 15 percent used prescription analgesics, nearly 13 percent used some type of diabetes medication, and more than 14 percent took an antidepressant.

However, between 2003 and 2013, the overall mortality rate for Americans ages 55 to 64 fell, the CDC said. Cancer mortality rates are now higher than those for cardiovascular disease. Between 2002-2003 and 2012-2013, the rate of cigarette smoking among adults ages 55 to 64 fell from nearly 20 percent to just over 18 percent. However, high rates of smoking still afflict the poor, with rates three times higher among those living well below the poverty line compared to people from more affluent groups.

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