CDC - Staying Connected January 2012

CDC - Staying Connected January 2012

CDC UPDATES

Binge Drinking: Nationwide Problem - According to the January Vital Signs report, new estimates show that binge drinking is a bigger problem than previously thought. More than 38 million U.S. adults binge drink, about 4 times a month, and the largest number of drinks per binge is on average 8. This behavior greatly increases the chances of getting hurt or hurting others due to car crashes, violence, and suicide. Drinking too much, including binge drinking, causes 80,000 deaths in the U.S. each year and, in 2006 cost the economy $223.5 billion. Binge drinking is a problem in all states, even in states with fewer binge drinkers, because they are binging more often and in larger amounts. (January Vital Signs report)
Million Hearts Campaign Listed Among HHS’ 2011 Accomplishments—The Department of Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, outlined the 2011 accomplishments of the department. Among this list was the Million Hearts Initiative aimed at preventing one million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years. In a recent interview with the Harvard Heart Letter, Dr. Frieden discusses the Million Hearts campaign. He said, “Preventing heart attacks and strokes requires a team effort. One of the things we hope the Million Hearts initiative will achieve is to get cardiovascular care right. As a country, we are doing very poorly: 47% of people with a prior cardiovascular event take aspirin, 46% have their blood pressure under control, 33% have their cholesterol under control, and only a small fraction of smokers who want to quit are getting evidence-based treatments proven to increase quitting. By supporting health care professionals and health care systems, we believe we can get aspirin use, blood pressure control, and cholesterol control up to 80% in clinical systems and 65% in the community, and further reduce the percentage of smokers.” (Harvard Health Letter Jan 2012; HHS 2011 Accomplishments)

IN THE NEWS

Public Health Effects of Fracking Need Study - Dr. Christopher Portier, director of the National Center for Environmental Health says much more research is needed to determine the possible impacts of shale gas drilling on human health and the environment. Portier made clear that the science on the issue isn't settled yet. "Studies should include all the ways people can be exposed, such as through air, water, soil, plants, and animals," Dr. Christopher Portier wrote. (Bloomberg Jan 5)
U.S. Twin Births have Doubled in Three Decades—The number of twins born in the United States has doubled in the last three decades largely as a result of fertility treatments, with one in 30 infants born in 2009 a twin, according to the CDC. More than 137,000 twins were born in the United States in 2009, accounting for one in every 30 babies. That compares to 68,339 twins born in 1980 when just one in 53 infants born was a twin, the CDC said. A third of the increase in the twin birth rate can be attributed to women waiting longer to have children. From 2000 to 2009, more than 35 percent of all births were to mothers ages 30 and over, up from 20 percent in 1980. (Reuters Jan 4)
Health Officials Watching New Flu Strain—A new flu strain that combines parts of a rare influenza virus—H3N2—circulating in North American pigs and the H1N1 virus from the 2009 worldwide flu outbreak is being watched by health officials in the United States and across the world. (Nov 29 ABC News; Dec 2 MMWR)
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PROGRAM UPDATES

Homicide Drops from Top 15 Leading Causes of Death in 2010 - The age-adjusted death rate decreased from 749.6 deaths per 100,000 population in 2009 to 746.2 deaths per 100,000 population in 2010. From 2009 to 2010, age-adjusted death rates decreased significantly for 7 of the 15 leading causes of death: diseases of heart, malignant neoplasms, chronic lower respiratory diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, accidents (unintentional injuries), influenza and pneumonia, and septicemia. Assault (homicide) fell from among the top 15 leading causes of death in 2010, replaced by Pneumonitis due to solids and liquids as the 15th leading cause of death. (National Vital Statistics Report Jan 2012).
Sexual Violence, Stalking, and Intimate Partner Violence Widespread in the U.S. - On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States, according to findings released by the CDC. Over the course of a year, that equals more than 12 million women and men. Those numbers only tell part of the story—more than 1 million women reported being raped in a year and over 6 million women and men were victims of stalking in a year, the report says. (CDC Press Release Dec 14)

EVENTS AND SEMINARS

All events and seminars listed are open to CDC partners. To see more upcoming events or for more information on the below events, visit the CDC Calendar of Events.
The Quiet Sickness: A Photographic Chronicle of Hazardous Work in America
January 30 – May 25, 2012, David J. Sencer CDC Museum, Atlanta, GA
The Quiet Sickness is drawn from Earl Dotter's, an award-winning photojournalist, large archive of black and white photographs documenting workers in the mining, fishing, agriculture, textile, health care, and construction industries.
CDC Public Health Grand Rounds (Online Event – No Registration Needed)
February 21, 1–2 PM (EDT), Topic: Million Hearts Initiative
The Public Health Grand Rounds is a monthly series created to further strengthen CDC’s scientific culture and foster discussion and debate on major public health issues. Watch live and archived broadcasts.
Public Health Preparedness Summit
February 21–25, 2012, Anaheim, CA
The 2012 Public Health Preparedness Summit will focus on how to move forward in an environment of limited resources. Public health professionals and partners from across the nation will present new research, new tools, and new practices to build and sustain a progressive public health preparedness infrastructure at the local, state, tribal, and territorial levels.
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CDC HISTORY

January 1977 - MMWR published its first and only special edition (until 2002) that described the discovery of the organism that causes Legionnaires disease.

RESOURCES

CDC Learning Connection Spotlight provides public health learning products and resources designed to help the public health community learn more about various health topics. This month’s focus is on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.
“Did You Know?” is a weekly feature from the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support to inform your prevention activities. Topics range from cancer prevention, smoking and tobacco use, food safety, and diabetes, to name a few.
Knowledge to Action Science Clips are designed to enhance awareness of emerging scientific knowledge. Selected science clips are posted for the public health community that focuses on applied public health research and prevention science. This weekly digest is a service of the CDC Public Health Library and Information Center and CDC's Office of the Chief Science Officer.

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Staying Connected, a bi-monthly newsletter prepared by CDC’s Office of the Associate Director for Communication, provides regular updates about agency and program priorities and other public health initiatives important to CDC’s partners and affiliates. Readers are welcome to comment by e-mail to stayingconnected@cdc.gov.
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