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U.S. racial gap in life expectancy shrinks: study

Posted at 7:48 AM, Jun 06, 2012
and last updated 2012-06-06 07:48:15-04

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Whites in the United States have typically lived longer on average than blacks, but a new study released on Tuesday suggests that gap in life expectancy may be shrinking.

The shift appears to be because fewer African Americans are dying of AIDS and heart disease, but also because more whites are dying in early and mid-adulthood from unintentional injuries – mainly poisonings, including prescription drug overdoses, researchers said.

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