Premature death, which is defined as death between the ages of 25 and 64, is on the decline in the United States among blacks, Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders — but the rates are up for whites and American Indians/Alaska Natives.

“Death at any age is devastating for those left behind, but premature death is especially so, in particular for children and parents,” Amy Berrington of the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) stated in a news release.

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A review of death certificate data from 1999 to 2014 showed there were fewer deaths from cancer, heart disease and HIV for blacks, Hispanics and Asian/Pacific Islanders. A decrease in those who smoke, plus improved diagnosis and better treatments are believed to be behind the improvements. Still, even with the improvements, overall premature death rates are higher among blacks than whites.

Among whites and American Indians and Alaska Natives, the significant jump in accidental deaths was mainly attributed to drug overdoses. Suicides and liver disease are also to blame. Death rates were up at least 5 percent a year for 25- to 30-year-old whites and American Indians/Alaska Natives. That’s similar to increases seen at the height of the AIDS epidemic in the United States, researchers stated.

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One positive trend seen in whites was that cancer and heart disease deaths were down.

“The results of our study suggest that in addition to continued efforts against cancer, heart disease and HIV, there is an urgent need for aggressive actions targeting emerging causes of death, namely drug overdoses, suicide and liver disease,” said lead study author Meredith Shiels, of the National Cancer Institute.