Black people in America are expected to live longer than they did in previous years, according to new data from the federal government.
A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals a 1.6 year increase in lifespan for Black Americans between 2021 and 2022 — extending the average age of death for Black people from 71.2 to 72.8.
Compared to other races and ethnicities during that time frame, Black non-Hispanic Americans had the third greatest increase in life expectancy. American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanics gained 2.3 years and Hispanics gained 2.2 years.
The researchers attribute the additional years to a decrease in deaths caused by COVID-19, which took an estimated 1.15 million lives. Black people also saw a decrease in heart disease-, homicide-, diabetes-, and cancer-related deaths.
While progress was made at the end of the pandemic, other illnesses remained a threat. The three leading causes of death for Black folks between 2021 and 2022 were perinatal conditions, birth defects, and kidney disease.
Perinatal Conditions
Perinatal conditions are complications that arise during pregnancy and after birth. The CDC reports that 50,000 American women suffer from pregnancy-related complications each year, but Black women are three times more likely than white women to die from those conditions.
Cardiovascular disorders, such as postpartum cardiomyopathy (heart failure) and preeclampsia and eclampsia (blood pressure disorders), are common causes of maternal death among Black women. Other causes include hemorrhage (severe bleeding) or embolism (blood vessel blockage).
Most pregnancy-related deaths are preventable — but only when care is administered properly. Racial bias leaves some Black mothers ignored, overlooked, and abused by medical professionals.
Congenital Malformations (Birth Defects)
Birth defects — also known as congenital malformations — refer to a portion of an infant’s body that developed abnormally before birth.
Black infants are at risk for birth defects due to high rates of premature and low-weight births. Between 2019 and 2021, 14.4% of live Black births occurred before 37 weeks of gestation.
Birth defects include heart conditions, bone growth abnormalities, down syndrome, fetal alcohol syndrome, clubfoot and cleft lip or palate.
Causes include changes in genetics or chromosomes, factors in the environment, or alcohol and drug use. However, many causes remain unknown.
Kidney Disease
An estimated 37 million Americans live with kidney disease, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Black Americans are four times more likely than white Americans to develop the disease due to high rates of diabetes and high blood pressure.
Chronic kidney disease occurs when the kidneys — two first-sized organs located below the rib cage — fail to clean the blood and filter out extra water. This can cause water and fluid to build up in the blood and may lead to heart disease or stroke.
Without treatment, a person with kidney disease may live a few days or weeks. If they commit to dialysis, the average life expectancy is five to 10 years.
