title: Deaths: preliminary data for 2003.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This report presents preliminary U.S. data on deaths, death rates, life expectancy, leading causes of death, and infant mortality for the year 2003 by selected characteristics such as age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data in this report are based on a large number of deaths comprising approximately 93 percent of the demographic file and 91 percent of the medical file for all deaths in the United States in 2003. The records are weighted to independent control counts for 2003. For certain causes of death such as unintentional injuries, homicides, suicides, and respiratory diseases, preliminary, and final data differ because of the truncated nature of the preliminary file. Comparisons are made with 2002 final data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age-adjusted death rate for the United States decreased from 845.3 deaths per 100,000 population in 2002 to 831.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2003. Age-adjusted death rates decreased between 2002 and 2003 for the following causes: Diseases of heart, Malignant neoplasms, Cerebrovascular diseases, Accidents (unintentional injuries), Influenza and pneumonia, Intentional self-harm (suicide), Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis, and Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids. They increased between 2002 and 2003 for the following: Alzheimer's disease, Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis, Essential (primary) hypertension and hypertensive renal disease, and Parkinson's disease. Life expectancy at birth rose by 0.3 years to a record high of 77.6 years.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Hyattsville, MD 20782, USA.
authors.forename: Donna L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Hoyert
authors.forename: Hsiang-Ching
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kung
authors.forename: Betty L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008017:Life Expectancy / Q000208:ethnology / Q000639:trends; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D009309:National Center for Health Statistics, U.S.; D044469:Racial Groups; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology