Fewer Americans are dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and injuries, however, deaths from COPD increased dramatically from 1969 to 2013, a new American Cancer Society study published in JAMA reveals.

Deaths from all causes, including these conditions, dropped about 1.3% a year over the near half century studied for a 43% decline overall, the researchers found.

Deaths from heart disease dropped 68% and from stroke, 77%. Injury-related deaths fell 40%, and deaths from cancer and diabetes dropped 18% and 17%, respectively.

But COPD-related deaths jumped 101%, according to the report.

COPD deaths have started to decrease among men, since males started smoking — and quitting — years earlier. But COPD deaths are still increasing among women, who took up smoking later and began quitting later, the researchers said.

“We continue to make progress in reducing death rates from five of the six major causes of death,” said lead researcher Dr Ahmedin Jemal, ACS vice president for the surveillance and health services research program. “But the death rate from COPD doubled.”