A new report, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shows Americans are living longer than ever. The average life expectancy in the United States is 78.7 years. However, African American males continue to die at a younger age, with heart disease and homicide being the two primary causes.

This new report also showed that white females have the longest life expectancy, 81.3 years. Black females had a life expectancy of 78 years, white males came in at 76.5 years and black males at 71.8 years, the shortest of all.

Released Thursday, the report highlighted the causes of death that had a direct effect on the life expectancy differences among blacks and whites. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes and homicide were the top causes.

“We expected heart disease and cancer, those are still the main focus, but what’s interesting is when you look at the graph for males, you see how important homicide is for directly affecting life expectancy for African-Americans,” Kenneth D. Kochanek, lead author of the report and statistician for the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, told NBC News.

In the black male population, homicide reduced life expectancy by almost a year. Heart disease showed the most significant impact in all groups, but for black males homicide was second on the list, above cancer and stroke.

Most homicides involve youth and young adults between the ages of 10 and 24. In this particular age category, it was the number one cause of death among black males. With this specific racial category only making up 13 percent of the overall population, the FBI says half of the homicide victims in 2011 were African American.

It is a known fact that medical conditions like heart attacks, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure are more common among those with a lower socioeconomic status, but the same now seems to be true for violent crimes as well. Poverty is often associated with a shorter life expectancy, especially in African American communities.

“Until there is a difference in levels of poverty, especially as it relates to limited health services to this particularly vulnerable population, then there will be no major changes in life expectancy for black men,” Dr. Robert Gore, ER physician at Kings County SUNY Downstate Hospitals and executive director of the Kings Against Violence Initiative in Brooklyn explained to NBC News.

Kochanek and his team of researchers are hoping this new data can help the fight for public policy change. They also hope public health officials will investigate this issue even further.