Is the period of rapidly declining adult mortality in the United States coming to an end?

Age-standardized death rates from all causes for persons age 35-74 fell 23 per cent, 1968-1979. The monotonic decline was interrupted by only one period of excess influenza mortality. In the late 1970s, however, the decline in mortality decelerated and no further decrease was observed, 1979-1981. The recurrence of epidemic influenza contributed significantly to this trend although it would appear that the underlying mortality pattern has begun to change.