Americans are living longer than ever before, up to the age of 78 on average. That's being attributed to the surging use of improved medical technology, including new drugs. That's also driving down the rates of major killers such as heart disease and cancer, according to a report called "Health, United States, 2000", issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
At the same time, some things about the nation's health that experts hoped were changing actually did not. They ...the use and misuse of medical technology may be a factor behind the ever-increasing cost of health care.
There is still 20 percent of the population that smokes. Also, people are not exercising more, and obesity is not decreasing.
