Use of MRI and CT Scans Increasing Rapidly

The use of medical technology in the United States increased dramatically between 1996 and 2006, according to “Health, United States, 2009,” the federal government’s 33rd annual report to the President and Congress on the health of all Americans.

The report was prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics from data gathered by state and federal health agencies and through ongoing national surveys.

This year’s edition features a special section on medical technology, and finds that the rate of magnetic resonance imaging, known as MRI, and computed and positron emission tomography or CT/PET scans, ordered or provided, tripled between 1996 and 2007.

Highlights of the special section include:
- The rate of adults aged 45 and over discharged from the hospital after receiving at least one knee replacement procedure increased 70 percent from 1996 to 2006 (26.5 per 10,000 population in 1996 to 45.2 per 10,000 in 2006).
– From 1988-1994 to 2003-2006, use of antidiabetic drugs among adults aged 45 years and over increased about 50 percent, and the use of statin drugs to lower cholesterol among this age group increased almost tenfold.
– The number of new organ transplantations per 1 million people increased 31 percent for kidney transplants (43.7 per 1 million in 1997 vs. 57.2 in 2006) and 42 percent for liver transplants between 1997 and 2006 (15.6 per 1 million in 1997 vs. 22.2 in 2006).

The full report contains 150 data tables in addition to the special feature on medical technology. The tables cover the spectrum of health topics, serving as a comprehensive snapshot of the nation’s health.

– Life expectancy at birth increased more for the black than for the white population between 1990 and 2007, thereby narrowing the gap in life expectancy between these two racial groups. Overall U.S. life expectancy in 2007 was 77.9 years.
– In 2007, 20 percent of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers, a slight decrease from 21 percent in the previous three years. Men were more likely to be current cigarette smokers than women (22 percent vs. 17 percent).
– In 2005-2006, 30 percent of adults often or almost always had trouble sleeping in the past month.
– In 2007, 20 percent of adults 18 years and over had at least one emergency department visit in the past year, and 7 percent had two or more visits.
– The percentage of the population taking at least one prescription drugduring the previous month increased from 38 percent in 1988-1994 to 47 percent in 2003-2006, and the percentage taking three or more prescription drugs increased from 11 percent to 21 percent.

The full report is available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm.


Introducing the innovative Montenegro Method DVD series

Guaranteed to Give You a Long, Lean Athletic Body in Just 21 Days

21 minutes / 21 days to a long, lean, athletic body is the promise of MM Branding’s premier in-home fitness release of The Montenegro Method (MM) DVD Series. The series includes three DVDs packed with high-intensity workouts that fuse fitness, sports and science and guarantees the most efficient workout to deliver maximum results, South Beach-style.

Miami-based exercise physiologist and fitness expert Marta Montenegro, who has owned and operated her own gym and spent many years working with and studying the methods of professional athletes, developed the Montenegro Method to get the body performing at its peak athletic potential. The Montenegro Method combines plyometrics and resistance exercises guaranteed to deliver the most efficient workout by building lean muscle and transforming the metabolism to burn more calories, even while at rest.

“I believe everyone can find their victory, maximize their personal achievements, transform their bodies and change their lives,” says Marta, who found her victory through training and helping others. “After suffering the loss of my father, whose last words were ‘find your victory,’ I’ve devoted my entire life to fitness and health.”

Marta, who is also the Founder, Publisher and Editor-In-Chief of the award-winning SOBeFiT Magazine, has always been inspired by athletes. While developing The MM DVD Series, she explored the highly efficient way athletes train to get their long, lean and athletic bodies. The MM DVD Series includes: (DVD 1) Endurance BURN FAT: three 21-minute high-calorie burning cardio / circuit training workouts; (DVD 2) Strength GET TONED: three 21-minute giant muscle-building workouts that reshape the core / upper body / legs; and (DVD 3) Power ACCELERATE METABOLISM: four 10-minute express workouts that increase endurance and build strength, agility and power, setting your body up to burn calories even while at rest. Exclusive bonus material includes healthy lifestyle tips from leading experts in the sports and fashion industries.

Paying homage to Marta’s athletic inspirations, The MM DVD Series also features candid interviews and mini-workouts with three of Spain’s finest professional tennis players: Fernando Verdasco, the second highest ranked Spanish tennis player who is consistently among the top 15 players in the world, demonstrates an upper body workout with Marta; Feliciano Lopez, two-time Davis Cup winner, engages in core exercises alongside Marta; and Carlos Moya, former world No. 1 and one of only four active tennis players to have won more than 500 ATP matches, performs lower-body exercises with Marta.

By fusing pro-sports techniques into each routine, Marta trains you like a pro-athlete. “I designed the series with the principles of overload and progression in mind — viewers can mix and match their workouts to avoid comfort zones in order to continue challenging themselves for long-term results,” continues Marta. “My program allows anyone to see results, regardless of their fitness level. Beginner, intermediate or advanced, viewers will lose weight, gain muscle tone and strength, and have more energy.”

The power of Marta’s passion, knowledge, credentials and experience inspires viewers to perform and push harder to reach their own personal victories. The Montenegro Method DVD Series offers both Spanish and English options and retails at $39.98.

Source: www.montenegromethod.com


Public Education Event will Include Keynote Address by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin and Testimonials from Heart Disease Patients

The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) announced an educational event for the public highlighting the gender and racial disparities in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. The “Know What Counts” educational program titled, “The Path to Health Care Equity: Identifying and Solving Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Disparities in Health Care in the New Century,” will feature a distinguished physician panel, along with a keynote address by U.S. Senator Ben Cardin. The event, which is co-sponsored by the Association of Black Cardiologists, Mended Hearts, and WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, will be held Tuesday, March 2, from noon to 3 p.m. at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

“This event will allow us to engage in a constructive conversation about gender and racial disparities that currently exist in the treatment of cardiovascular disease,” said Mark Turco, MD, FACC, FSCAI, Director, Center for Cardiac & Vascular Research at Washington Adventist Hospital. “We will address ways to close the gap in cardiovascular care and outcomes, so gender, race, and ethnicity cease to be relevant to survival and quality-of-life with heart disease.”

Cardiovascular disease, which is consistently the number one killer of both men and women in America, affected an estimated 80 million people in the U.S. in 2006. In addition, CVD was the cause of more than 35 percent of all U.S. deaths in 2005. Women under the age of 50 are twice as likely to die from a heart attack as men in their same age group. African American women ages 55-64 are twice as likely as white women to have a heart attack and 35 percent more likely to suffer from heart disease. In 2006, nearly 47 percent of African American women, and nearly 45 percent of African American males had CVD.

Program director Dr. Turco will lead the event. Other notable event participants will include:

– Marcos Pesquera, RPh, MPH, Executive Director of the Center on Health Disparities, Adventist HealthCare
– Brian Smedley, PhD, Vice President and Director, Health Policy Institute Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies
– Allen J. Taylor, MD, FACC, FAHA, Director of Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Lipid/Prevention Clinic, Department of Cardiology, Washington Hospital Center
– Ron Waksman, MD, Associate Director, Division of Cardiology at the Washington Hospital Center and Director of Experimental Angioplasty &
Emerging Technologies for the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Washington Hospital Center

The program will also feature dramatic testimonials from local heart disease patients who will share their stories of survival to inspire hope for other patients who suffer from heart disease.

“As we seek to shape true reform in our health care system, we must first address the disparities that exist among our citizens, specifically women and people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds,” said Mr. Pesquera. “This event will give us a forum for excellent dialogue to not only raise awareness on this issue, but also to provide real solutions on how we can best achieve this long-sought parity in care.

“Despite the near split in prevalence of heart disease between men and women, women account for only 20 to 25 percent of patients enrolled in most CVD clinical trials,” said Dr. Turco. “Recruiting diverse patients to participate in clinical trials is a huge priority for the cardiovascular research community.”

“To address these differences, SCAI launched WINHeart – Score a WIN for Women, an initiative to raise awareness surrounding gender-based disparities in the diagnosis, treatment and survival of women with cardiovascular disease,” says Steven R. Bailey, MD, FSCAI, president of SCAI and chief, division of cardiology, Janey Briscoe Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Research and professor of medicine and radiology at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio. “Additionally, Women In Innovations (WIN), a group of interventional cardiologists within SCAI, recently released a report and survey that illustrate why cardiovascular disease is under-recognized and under-treated in women.”

Source: SCAI


The first ever actuarial analysis of lung cancer mortality, published today in Population Health Management Journal, provides strong evidence that earlier detection could reduce the number of late stage lung cancer deaths by over 70,000 people each year in the US.

Calling the number “profound,” Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) President Laurie Fenton-Ambrose said, “This would be the equivalent of eliminating all deaths from breast and prostate cancer each year. It clearly demonstrates why we must make research and development of earlier detection tools for lung cancer a public health priority.”

The study was carried out by Milliman Inc., an internationally renowned actuarial firm, and commissioned by Lung Cancer Alliance, the American Legacy Foundation, the Bonnie J. Addario Lung Cancer Foundation, Joan’s Legacy Foundation, Lungevity Foundation, the Prevent Cancer Foundation and the Thomas G. LaBrecque Foundation.

Bruce S. Pyenson, FSA, one of the co-authors of the study said, “We found that higher stage at diagnosis was profoundly associated with higher all-cause mortality and lower stage at diagnosis had profoundly lower all-cause mortality.”

“Our reporting all-cause mortality is perhaps more relevant to patients than the more common disease-specific survival or 5-year survival, as patients probably are more concerned about overall survival, not whether they face death from cancer, treatment side-effects, or something else,” he noted.

The study analyzed detailed records of over 241,000 lung cancer patients diagnosed and treated between 1988 and 2003 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database of the National Cancer Institute.

Mortality rates from those records were compared to demographically- and year-adjusted standard national mortality rates to develop “load” mortality ratios. These show the added mortality burden that treated lung cancer brings to patients, and how that burden dramatically increases by stage.

Using actuarial techniques honed over the past 100 years to set insurance premium rates based on age, sex and other factors such as smoking, the ratios were then used to predict what would happen to the 160,000 people diagnosed with late stage lung cancer (Stages III A, IIIB and IV) in 2007.

According to the analysis, only 8600 will still be alive in 2012.

However, the analysis shows if those same people were to have their cancers detected and treated as early stage lung cancers a year or two before 2007, over 75,000 additional persons would be alive in 2012.

James L. Mulshine, MD, Vice President for Research at Rush University Medical Center and a co-author of the study said: “This robust finding reinforces the urgent need to support research directed at better diagnostic approaches to consistently find early lung cancer as a near-term strategy to improve lung cancer outcomes.”

“Another really useful finding is that our methodology allows testing of various biases, such as lead-time bias and pseudo-disease that could explain the profoundly lower mortality. Those biases would need to be huge to account for the much better early stage survival,” Pyenson said.

Even under sensitivity testing for slower rates of progression (lead time bias) or higher rates of benign disease (psuedo-disease), the predicted number of people who would still be alive in 2012 would be at least 44,689.

Actuarial techniques can help evaluate early detection methods and can tease out information on specific subsets of the population that would be impractical or take decades using traditional clinical trials methods.

According to Pyenson, this potential is beginning to be recognized in the FDA’s post-release surveillance program to detect side-effects or advantages of various therapies, he added.

For example, the detailed analysis carried out by Milliman indicated that:

– For all types of lung cancer, early stage mortality is less than 15% of that for late stage;
– The extra mortality burden of lung cancer for women is higher than for men;
– There are race-related mortality differences, although “stage at diagnosis” is a much more important factor;
– Long-term survivors of all stages have similar mortality rates to their smoker counterparts of the same age, sex and race in the rest of the population, although there are very few long-term survivors of late stage lung cancer.

Lung Cancer Alliance, www.lungcanceralliance.org, is the only national non-profit dedicated exclusively to providing patient support and advocacy for those living with or at risk for lung cancer. Lung Cancer Alliance is committed to reversing decades of stigma and neglect by empowering those with or at risk for the disease, elevating awareness and changing health policy.

Milliman is among the world’s largest independent actuarial and consulting firms with 52 offices in key locations worldwide. Milliman employs over 2,400 people, with a professional staff of more than 1,100 qualified consultants and actuaries, including specialists ranging from clinicians to economists. The firm has consulting practices in healthcare, employee benefits, property & casualty insurance, life insurance and financial services. Milliman serves the full spectrum of business, financial, government, union, education and nonprofit organizations.

Source: Lung Cancer Alliance


Categories

Archives

Blogroll

Meta