Half of U.S. Adults Lacked Preventive Health Services Before 2010

Half of U.S. Adults Lacked Preventive Health Services Before 2010

Only about half of U.S. adults received selected preventive services such as screenings, consultations and prescriptions, from a health care professional before 2010, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study, Use of Selected Clinical Preventive Services Among Adults — United States, 2007-2010, offers a comprehensive look at adult clinical preventive services in the United States.  These services, identified by CDC as public health priorities, were evaluated prior to the Affordable Care Act, the health care law of 2010.

The report provides baseline data on the use of selected adult preventive services, including aspirin or other blood-thinning therapy, controlling blood pressure, screening for and controlling high cholesterol, and ending tobacco use. The report found:

• Of patients with heart disease primarily affecting the blood vessels, only 47 percent were prescribed the recommended daily use of aspirin during visits to their doctors.
• The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for the prevention of high blood pressure state that adults 18 years old and older with high blood pressure should receive a clinical treatment plan that might include medications and monthly follow-up visits until healthy blood pressure is achieved, yet less than half (44 percent) of people with high blood pressure had it under control.
• Similarly, despite strong evidence that screening and treating for high cholesterol reduces sickness and death due to heart disease, about 33.4 percent of men and 25.6 percent of women were not screened during the preceding 5 years. Of those adults identified with high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, only about 32 percent of men and 32 percent of women had it under control.
• According to data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and the National Health Interview Summary, fewer than 1 in 13 tobacco users were prescribed medications to help them end their tobacco use when they saw their doctor.

The report issued today also provides baseline data on diabetes management, colon and breast cancer screening, HIV testing, and influenza vaccination

Posted by George Daniels on Friday June 15 2012, 2:42 AM EST. Ref: CDC. Link. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0