A drop in heart disease and cancer deaths has helped grow NZers' life expectancy by 4 years over the last two decades. Researchers say this is likely due to lower levels of smoking, better treatments and reduced risk factors for these diseases. Māori populations saw the biggest improvement; however, life expectancy is still lower for both Māori and Pacific people than for NZ Europeans and Asians. The researchers say closing this gap will take effort over several decades to further reduce smoki