Another drop in life expectancy for that demographic has brought the average life expectancy for American men to 76.1 years in 2017, the year for which the data have been finalized and released. That's compared with 76.5 in 2014, according to the data - a not-insignificant drop.

Once they reach age 65, men are projected to live another 18.1 years, compared with 20.6 years for women, according to Bloomberg, which cited data from the study.

What's more, life expectancy has been falling across demographics in America. The estimates for whites, blacks and Hispanics fell to 78.5, 74.9 and 81.8 respectively in 2017, after peaking in 2012 or 2014.

Of course, the biggest driver of these falling life-expectancy rates isn't gun violence - though, based on the mainstream media's coverage, one might have reason to think that. No, the biggest force behind what's killing more young, (mostly white) men is what they call "deaths of despair." That is, suicides, overdoses and any deaths stemming from mental health or substance-abuse issues.

The opioid crisis hammered the US with the arrival of fentanyl in the illicit drug supply around 2007, and between then and 2017, the mortality rate from drug overdoses increased by a staggering 82%, to 21.7 deaths from 11.9 per 100,000.

Over the same 10-year period, suicide rates increased 24% to 14 deaths per 100,000, up from 11.3. The rise has been so rapid, and so shocking, that in 2017, suicide became the second leading cause of death, behind accidents, for young age groups: 10–14, 15–19, and 20–24, with younger males in particular strongly impacted.