CDC

Center For Disease Control Targets LGBT Community With Anti-Smoking Ad Campaign

Submitted by ONE Community on April 17, 2013 - 6:38pm

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community with a new installment of their anti-smoking campaign.

As CNN notes, there's an alarming disproportion between the smoking rate in the LGBT community compared to the general population, according to a report released by the American Lung Association. The smoking rate is 70 percent higher in the LGBT community than it is for heterosexual Americans, according to director of the CDC’s Office on Smoke and Health, Dr. Tim McAfee.

Ellie Nicholas, a non-smoker who appears in the campaign both alone and with her partner, shares her story of suffering from asthma due to secondhand smoke. Read more »

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Survey Shows Americans Struggling To Pay Medical Bills

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on April 3, 2012 - 8:18am

According to a recent survey of 52,000 people conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three Americans was in a family experiencing financial struggles due to medical expenses. One in five people were in a family having trouble paying medical bills and one in 10 was in a family that had medical bills they were unable to pay at all. The survey was the most comprehensive study conducted by the CDC on the issue and may be the largest of its kind. Read more »

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CDC Says 90 Percent Of Americans Eat Too Much Salt

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on March 28, 2012 - 6:14am

A newly released report from the CDC says nearly 90 percent of Americans eat more salt than is recommended. Foods such as pizza, soups, sandwiches, cheese, cured meats, bread, rolls, and cold cuts make up 44 percent of the salt people consume, 65 percent comes from processed foods, and 25 percent is from restaurants. Only 10 percent of the sodium we consume occurs naturally. Salt has been linked to high blood pressure, which leads to heart disease and stroke. Choosing low-sodium options when possible and preparing more food for yourself are two ways to lessen the amount of salt you consume on a daily basis. More here. Read more »

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CDC Says More Americans Need Cancer Screening

Submitted by Maryglenn Boals on January 27, 2012 - 8:46am

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of Americans being screened for cancer continues to fall below recommended national targets. Sallyann Coleman King of the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control said screening for colorectal, cervical, and breast cancers can help find the disease at an earlier stage when it can be treated more effectively. Still, the report found that breast cancer screening rates were 72.4 percent, short of the national goal of 81 percent. Screening for cervical cancer was 10 percent below the target and colorectal cancer screening rates were 12 percent short of the goal. The report based its findings on data gathered during the CDC’s 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Read more »

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