Boosting Five Preventive Services Estimated to Save Thousands of Lives


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 07 - More than 100,000 lives could be saved in the US each year, if use of just five preventive services were increased, according to study findings released Tuesday by the Partnership for Prevention.
The report also indicates that there is a major racial gap in the use of preventive services. In particular, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans are less likely to use such services than whites.
Key findings from the study, which was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other groups, include:
--If the percentage of adults taking aspirin daily to stave off heart disease were to increase to 90%, roughly 45,000 lives would be saved annually. At present, aspirin usage in eligible adults is under 50%.
--If the percentage of smokers who were advised by a healthcare professional to quit and then offered assistance were to increase from the current 28% to 90%, an estimated 42,000 lives would be saved each year.
--If the percentage of adults age 50 and older who are up to date with recommended colorectal cancer screening were to increase from the current 50% to 90%, roughly 14,000 lives would be saved each year.
--If the percentage of adults who receive influenza vaccination rose from 37% to 90% annually, an additional 12,000 lives would be saved each year.
--If the percentage of women screened for breast cancer in the past 2 years increased from 67% to 90%, an extra 4000 lives would be saved annually.
In addition, the report indicates that 30,000 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease could be avoided each year if the percentage of sexually active young women who are screened for chlamydial infection rose from 40% to 90%.
Some of the racial differences identified include:
--Hispanics are 55% less likely to receive smoking cessation assistance than whites.
--Asians are 40% less likely to use aspirin to prevent heart disease than whites.
--African Americans have higher cancer screening rates for breast and colorectal cancer than Hispanics and Asians, but increased screening in African Americans could lead to bigger gains because they have higher mortality due to these malignancies.