Life expectancy in the United States has declined for the first time in more than two decades. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics showed a drop for men from 76.5 years in 2014 to 76.3 last year, and from 81.3 to 81.2 for women. The figures show rise in several causes of death, especially heart disease, dementia and accidental infant deaths.<br/><br/>Life expectancy last fell during the peak of the HIV/Aids crisis in 1993. It has improved slightly in most of the years since World War Two, rising from a little more than 68 years in 1950.<br/>It also fell in 1980, after a severe outbreak of flu. Overall life expectancy for men and women is now 78.8 years, a decrease of 0.1 year from 2014.