Some Improvement in Heart Risk Factors for Americans: CDC

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- About 47 percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, according to a new report released Friday.

These risk factors include uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and smoking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have seen declines [in risk factors], but there's still work to be done," said the report's lead author, CDC health statistician Cheryl Fryar.

Findings of the report, culled from data gathered from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, included:

A drop in the rate of adults with at least one risk factor from 58 percent in 1999 to 46.5 percent in 2010.Men (52 percent) are more likely than women (41 percent) to have one of these risk factors.From 1999 to 2010, there was a drop in the percentage of whites and Mexican Americans who had at least one risk factor (about 47 percent and 45 percent respectively).There was no decline in the percentage of blacks with these risk factors, which remained at 58 percent.The prevalence of uncontrolled high blood pressure and uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol dropped between 1999 and 2010 (almost 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively).There was no drop in the percentage of adult cigarette smokers, which remained at 25 percent of adults 20 and older.Disparities remain among people of different income levels and racial and ethnic groups.

"Cardiovascular disease and stroke are largely preventable, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol levels and smoking representing major modifiable risk factors in men and women of all racial and ethnic groups and all income levels," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, spokesman for the American Heart Association and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"It is concerning that some of the early gains in lowering the rates of uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol appeared heading in the wrong direction in 2009 and 2010," Fonarow said. "This may represent recent misguided efforts to discredit the substantial cardiovascular benefits of LDL-lowering therapy."

The report found that there are significant disparities in risk factors by age, sex, race and income levels, Fonarow noted.

"African Americans and those with incomes of less than 130 percent of the poverty level had higher prevalence of risk factors and made less progress over the study period," he said. "The reasons behind these disparities in risk factor control are likely complex, but deserving of further study."

"Substantially increased efforts to reduce or eliminate these uncontrolled cardiovascular disease and stroke risk factors at the individual, community, national and global level are clearly needed," Fonarow added.

Reasons for the stalled decline in smoking rates are not clear. Possible explanations include less money spent by states on antismoking campaigns and more advertising dollars spent by tobacco companies.

The CDC recently launched a campaign of graphic ads to get smokers to quit. Early results indicate the campaign is working.

"We have to have sustained efforts like this if we are going to have an impact on decreasing the number of smokers in this country," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said at the time of the campaign's launch. "One of the sad facts is that although we had success a number of years ago in getting people to stop smoking, we have hit a roadblock where 20 percent of Americans still smoke."

One of the major problems is that tobacco companies easily outspend the government's efforts to curb smoking with vast sums devoted to promoting their products, Lichtenfeld said.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Cheryl Fryar, M.S.P.H., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, professor, cardiovascular medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 3, 2012, report, Prevalence of Uncontrolled Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: United States, 1999-2010

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Some Improvement in Heart Risk Factors for Americans: CDC

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Aug. 3 (HealthDay News) -- About 47 percent of American adults have at least one risk factor for heart disease, according to a new report released Friday.

These risk factors include uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol and smoking, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"We have seen declines [in risk factors], but there's still work to be done," said the report's lead author, CDC health statistician Cheryl Fryar.

Findings of the report, culled from data gathered from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, included:

A drop in the rate of adults with at least one risk factor from 58 percent in 1999 to 46.5 percent in 2010.Men (52 percent) are more likely than women (41 percent) to have one of these risk factors.From 1999 to 2010, there was a drop in the percentage of whites and Mexican Americans who had at least one risk factor (about 47 percent and 45 percent respectively).There was no decline in the percentage of blacks with these risk factors, which remained at 58 percent.The prevalence of uncontrolled high blood pressure and uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol dropped between 1999 and 2010 (almost 8 percent and 9 percent, respectively).There was no drop in the percentage of adult cigarette smokers, which remained at 25 percent of adults 20 and older.Disparities remain among people of different income levels and racial and ethnic groups.

"Cardiovascular disease and stroke are largely preventable, with uncontrolled high blood pressure, uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol levels and smoking representing major modifiable risk factors in men and women of all racial and ethnic groups and all income levels," said Dr. Gregg Fonarow, spokesman for the American Heart Association and professor of cardiovascular medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.

"It is concerning that some of the early gains in lowering the rates of uncontrolled high LDL cholesterol appeared heading in the wrong direction in 2009 and 2010," Fonarow said. "This may represent recent misguided efforts to discredit the substantial cardiovascular benefits of LDL-lowering therapy."

The report found that there are significant disparities in risk factors by age, sex, race and income levels, Fonarow noted.

"African Americans and those with incomes of less than 130 percent of the poverty level had higher prevalence of risk factors and made less progress over the study period," he said. "The reasons behind these disparities in risk factor control are likely complex, but deserving of further study."

"Substantially increased efforts to reduce or eliminate these uncontrolled cardiovascular disease and stroke risk factors at the individual, community, national and global level are clearly needed," Fonarow added.

Reasons for the stalled decline in smoking rates are not clear. Possible explanations include less money spent by states on antismoking campaigns and more advertising dollars spent by tobacco companies.

The CDC recently launched a campaign of graphic ads to get smokers to quit. Early results indicate the campaign is working.

"We have to have sustained efforts like this if we are going to have an impact on decreasing the number of smokers in this country," Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer at the American Cancer Society, said at the time of the campaign's launch. "One of the sad facts is that although we had success a number of years ago in getting people to stop smoking, we have hit a roadblock where 20 percent of Americans still smoke."

One of the major problems is that tobacco companies easily outspend the government's efforts to curb smoking with vast sums devoted to promoting their products, Lichtenfeld said.

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. SOURCES: Cheryl Fryar, M.S.P.H., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Gregg Fonarow, M.D., spokesman, American Heart Association, professor, cardiovascular medicine, University of California, Los Angeles; Aug. 3, 2012, report, Prevalence of Uncontrolled Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease: United States, 1999-2010

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Most Americans with Celiac disease do not understand: the test

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 HealthDay News)--new research suggests that the 1.4 million Americans have celiac disease, but do not know, while 1.6 million people are on a gluten-free diet for celiac disease--treatment--even though they may not be necessary.

The results, which estimates that 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease--autoimmune condition--indicate that the percentage of 78 patients do not always realize that they have the condition.

"This is proof that the disease is common in the United States," said co-author Dr. Joseph Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in the news release. "If you have one person to detect every five or six [who] are not very good job we're doing, celiac disease detection."

People with celiac disease have trouble sample of wheat, rye and barley. Gluten-free diet can help, but around 80% of the people on such a diet not recognized in celiac disease.

"There are many people on a gluten-free Diet and not clear what is the medical need for that," said Murray. "This important if someone thinks that they have celiac disease, that they be tested first before they go on a diet."

The researchers came to their conclusions by examining the results of tests of blood and establish a national test.

Celiac disease seems to be particularly common in the white race.

"Virtually all of the people we were non-Hispanic Caucasians," said co-author Dr. Alberto Rubio-Tapia, Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, release news. But, he said, the results are head scratching because studies in Mexico had suggested that the disease celiac is common.

Research was partially funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centre for disease prevention and control.

Study appears in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 31.

--Randy Dotinga Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Mayo Clinic, news release, 31 July 2012

View the original article here

Most Americans with Celiac disease do not understand: the test

THURSDAY, Aug. 2 HealthDay News)--new research suggests that the 1.4 million Americans have celiac disease, but do not know, while 1.6 million people are on a gluten-free diet for celiac disease--treatment--even though they may not be necessary.

The results, which estimates that 1.8 million Americans have celiac disease--autoimmune condition--indicate that the percentage of 78 patients do not always realize that they have the condition.

"This is proof that the disease is common in the United States," said co-author Dr. Joseph Murray, a gastroenterologist at the Mayo Clinic in the news release. "If you have one person to detect every five or six [who] are not very good job we're doing, celiac disease detection."

People with celiac disease have trouble sample of wheat, rye and barley. Gluten-free diet can help, but around 80% of the people on such a diet not recognized in celiac disease.

"There are many people on a gluten-free Diet and not clear what is the medical need for that," said Murray. "This important if someone thinks that they have celiac disease, that they be tested first before they go on a diet."

The researchers came to their conclusions by examining the results of tests of blood and establish a national test.

Celiac disease seems to be particularly common in the white race.

"Virtually all of the people we were non-Hispanic Caucasians," said co-author Dr. Alberto Rubio-Tapia, Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, release news. But, he said, the results are head scratching because studies in Mexico had suggested that the disease celiac is common.

Research was partially funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the Centre for disease prevention and control.

Study appears in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, July 31.

--Randy Dotinga Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved. Source: Mayo Clinic, news release, 31 July 2012

View the original article here