United Press International - Wednesday, October 07, 1998

Age-adjusted death rates from HIV infection in the U.S. declined 47 percent from 1996 to 1997, and HIV infection fell from 8th to 14th among leading causes of death in the United States over the same time.

The figures come from a report on preliminary vital statistics for the nation in 1997 released Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report also details a new low for infant mortality and continued declines in teen births and the homicide rate, as well as a new high for life expectancy.

For those aged 25-44, HIV dropped from the leading cause of death in 1995 to third-leading in 1996 and now fifth-leading in 1997. The age- adjusted HIV death rate of 5.9 deaths per 100,000 is the lowest rate since 1987, the first year mortality data were available for the disease. The 1997 rate is less than half the 1992 rate (12.6) and almost one-third the rate in 1995 (15.6).

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala said the decline in AIDS deaths is primarily due to the continuing impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy in helping people with HIV live longer and healthier lives.

At the same time, she emphasized that success in treating those with HIV does not mean the nation can relax its efforts to prevent HIV transmission.

"Today's report is very good news for the nation, and the tremendous decline in AIDS deaths is particularly striking. These figures mean that new treatments have been very effective in extending the lives of people who already have HIV infection -- but they do not mean that we have significantly reduced HIV transmission," Shalala said.

She added, "We are working to see that people with AIDS get access to the dramatic new therapies that are available. Even more important, however, is our continuing task of preventing new cases of HIV. Our ultimate goal is to prevent the estimated 40,000 new HIV infections that occur each year."

According to CDC, other available data suggests that, while death rates are improving dramatically, the annual number of new HIV infections in the U.S. has not declined in recent years, and the total number of people living with HIV is still increasing.

Also detailed in the report:

--Life expectancy reached a record high for those born in 1997 -- of 76.5 years.

--Overall infant mortality rate reached a new low of 7.1 deaths per 1,000 live births.

--Teen birth rate fell an estimated 3 percent in 1997, continuing a six-year trend.

--The preliminary age-adjusted homicide rate fell 12 percent in 1997.

The report features preliminary data collected through the National Vital Statistics System from over 90 percent of all birth and death records. The information on causes of death is recorded on death certificates by physicians, medical examiners, and coroners, and reported to the states.

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