Washington, May 17 (IANS): Black population in the US experienced more than 1.63 million excess deaths and over 80 million excess years of life lost, when compared with the White population over the last two decades, according to a new study.

After a period of progress in reducing disparities, improvements stalled, and differences between the Black population and the White population worsened in 2020, Xinhua news agency quoted the study published in the medical journal JAMA on Tuesday.

From 1999 to 2020, the disproportionately higher mortality rates in Black males and females resulted in 997,623 and 628,464 excess deaths, respectively, representing a loss of more than 80 million years of life, according to the study.

Heart disease had the highest excess mortality rates, and the excess years of potential life lost rates were largest among infants and middle-aged adults, according to the study.

Amid efforts in the US to promote health equity, there is a need to assess recent progress in reducing excess deaths and years of potential life lost among the Black population compared with the White population, it added.