The number of Americans who reach 100 years old and beyond has increased, and it is expected to keep increasing, according to a new report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
There were 50,281 centenarians in 2000, while there were 72,197 centenarians in 2014, showing a 43.6 percent rise from the turn of the century. More than 80 percent of those comprising this age group are female, the report noted.
Researchers attribute the rise of the centenarians to the availability of medicines, better medical care and more awareness about healthier lifestyles.
"In the early 1900s and before, people could count on losing about a quarter of their children to infectious diseases and other public health problems," Dr. Thomas Perls, a geriatrician at Boston Medical Center, told Reuters.
With medical improvements in combating various diseases, people who are more likely to live beyond 100 years old have a greater chance at surviving childhood illnesses, Perls explained. He said that those born after World War II -- the baby boomers -- are expected to contribute even more to the surge among the centenarians.
As the number of centenarians rises, the death rate for this age group consequently rises, the report said. Based on 2000 data, the death rate increased 119 percent for Alzheimer's disease, 88 percent for hypertension, 34 percent for chronic lower respiratory diseases and 33 percent for other injuries for centenarians in 2014. On the other hand, death rates decreased 31 percent for stroke, 48 percent for pneumonia and influenza and 24 percent for heart disease.
The top five causes of death recorded for centenarians are heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, stroke, cancer, pneumonia and influenza.
Women outliving men is hardly a surprise, with factors like genetics and lifestyle influencing women's health, Perls told TIME.
"Women are definitely winning the longevity race," Perls said.
