Life expectancy is up and the death rate is down, according to recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

From data collected in 2007, life expectancy for newborns reached a new high of 77.9, according to the latest mortality figures reported in Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2007. The figures are based on nearly 90 percent of all death certificates in the United States.

The 2007 increase in life expectancy was the continuation of a long trend. Between 1997 and 2007, life expectancy increased by 1.4 years, from 76.5 years to 77.9 years.

Other highlights of the report include:

• The average 65-year-old senior can now expect to live another 19 years or so, to nearly age 84.
• Record high life expectancy was recorded for both males (75.3 years) and females (80.4 years) in 2007. While the gap between male and female life expectancy has narrowed since the peak of in 1979, the 5.1 year difference recorded in 2007 is the same as in 2006.
• For the first time, life expectancy for black males reached 70 years.
• The U.S. death rate fell for the eighth year in a row to an all-time low of 760.3 deaths per 100,000 population in 2007. This is 2.1 percent lower than the 2006 rate of 776.5 and about half of what it was 60 years ago in 1947.
• Heart disease and cancer, the two leading causes of death, accounted for nearly half (48.5 percent) of all deaths in 2007.

Want to improve your longevity? In addition to getting exercise, regular medical checkups, and eating healthy food, researchers say that making new friends and making time to travel help to increase our longevity.
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Unfortunately, seniors are often the target of scams, so it's especially important for older adults to be aware of consumer protection information that can help them avoid senior scams.

The FBI offers a comprehensive list of the most common senior scams, including insurance, telemarketing, prescription drugs, "anti-aging" products and reverse mortgage scams.

To highlight the need for consumer protection and education, the U.S. government also offers a free fraud information packet of practical tips on a variety of topics to help you minimize your risk of fraud and identity theft.

One way to guard against identity theft is to order free credit reports and review them regularly to watch for any unauthorized activity that may signal identity theft has occurred.

If you feel you have been the victim of fraud or a senior scam, Consumer Fraud Reporting offers information and resources to report it.

Every year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare funds provide an update of how the funds are doing.

Unfortunately, Medicare is in worse shape than Social Security.