In a powerful testament to medical advances, 50,000 fewer people died in America in 2004 than the year before -- the biggest plunge in more than 60 years, the federal government announced Wednesday.

Deaths in Minnesota also fell off during the same time period -- 591 fewer people than the year before-- continuing a decline that had begun in 2002.

More striking was the state's steep drop in its age-adjusted mortality rate. In 2003, there 712 deaths per 100,000 population. In 2004, it was 691.

Nationally, the rate was 801 deaths per 100,000 population.

"You guys are doing really well," said the report's lead author, statistician Arialdi Minino of the Maryland-based National Center for Health Statistics.

Minnesota's temporary death lull is affecting its funeral industry, said Mark Stohlberg, president of the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association.

"This can't go on forever," Stohlberg said. "There's a finite point here that we're going to hit. And when it does, there may be a critical shortage of people in funeral services" who haven't managed to last through the slow years.

Nationally, the 2 percent decrease in American deaths came as a shock to many. The nation's population is getting older and getting fatter. Plus, the number of U.S. residents continues to grow.

Some experts raised concerns that the preliminary numbers may not hold up when a final report is released later this year. Federal officials, though, said the statistics are based on a review of about 90 percent of all U.S. deaths, and were consistent enough to be reported.

Medical intervention key

The center said national drops in the death rates for heart disease, cancer and stroke accounted for most of the decline.

"We were surprised by the sharpness of the decrease. It's kind of historical," Minino said.

"The Number 1 reason is probably technology," said Dr. Stanton Shanedling, supervisor of the heart disease and stroke prevention unit of the Minnesota Department of Health. "We're able to intervene with people having a heart attack more quickly and efficiently.

"Number 2 is pharmaceuticals. A lot of people are taking things like Lipitor, or aspirin, which also helps -- a little bit of a blood thinner, putting less stress on the heart."

Lipitor is a drug that helps lower blood cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

But behind the encouraging medical news, other experts warned, is a looming crisis in health care costs.

"We're getting these results from very expensive high-tech medicine," said Edina-based demographer Hazel Reinhardt. "The issue is whether we're going to be able to continue to pay for these kinds of things in the future, as the number of patients grows and the ratio between them and the number of people in the workforce, paying taxes, changes. That, I think, is the challenge.

"We're alive, and more than just alive -- our quality of life has improved. But how many thousands of dollars of medicine have we consumed? It's a pretty high cost."