U.S. deaths up in 2005, report says

U.S. health officials stated this week that U.S. deaths increased in 2005 after a sharp decline in 2004. To the researchers, this suggested that the decline a year earlier was most likely some kind of fluke. I say -- research this "fluke" and see how it happened. Sound like a plan?

Yes, that plan is probably way easier said than done, but the possibility of finding out any possible causes of a drastic decline in the overall death rate during a single year deserves some investigation, yes? So far, officials believe 2004's decline was due to a mild flu season. That sounds too simplistic for my tastes, although I am sure it's partially true.

With 2004 death rates in the U.S. at 2,397,615 (down 50,000 from 2003), 2005 deaths stood at 2,447,900 (about about another 50,000). But, of course, one year does not make a good baseline for anything. Still, what cased that aberration in 2004?