Stat!: Why Supplement?

Percent of American adults who use dietary supplements to “improve” their overall health: 45 Percent who take them to “maintain” their health: 33 Supplements most commonly taken: multivitamin-mineral, calcium, omega-3/fish oil Percent who take specific supplements on the recommendation of a physician or other health professional: 23 If you’re thinking about supplementing beyond the basics …

Stat!: Drug Problem? What Drug Problem?

Average number of prescription drugs filled for American youth: 4.1     Druggiest place in the US for kids: Iowa (7.1)      Least druggy: Alaska (2.3) Average number of prescription drugs filled for adults: 11.9     Druggiest place in the US for adults: Kentucky (19.8)      Least druggy: District of Columbia (7.7) Average number of prescription drugs filled for seniors: 28      Druggiest …

Stat!: Do as I Say, Not as I Do?

Percent of general population who reported using “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) in the past year: 63 Percent of older Americans (50+ years) who use CAM and say they’ve never discussed the matter with their health care providers: 60 Percent who say their health care providers have never asked them about CAM use: 40 Percent …

Stat!: If You Don’t Know Your Body, How Can You Give Informed Consent?

Percent of the general public who can correctly identify the location of the Heart: 55.6 Stomach: 48.1 Liver: 45.9 Kidneys: 27.1 Lungs: 27.1 Percent of cardiac patients who can correctly identify the location of the heart: 50.5 Percent of G/I patients who can locate the stomach: 46.3 Percent of liver patients who can locate the …

Stat!: Big Pharma Damage

Number of new cases of serious injury due to prescription drug use in the first three months of this year: 20,745 Percent increase over last year’s quarterly average: 38 Percent of these cases due to medication errors: 7.1 Most strikingly, the Institute [for Safe Medicine Practices] found that 10 different drugs this quarter could be …

Stat!: American Opinions on Dental Health and Hygiene

Percent of Americans who say that good dental hygiene is “absolutely needed”: 80 Percent who say their hygiene is “excellent”: 33   Source: ADA, Crest, Oral-B opinion survey, via Medical News Today   Image: bre pettis/Flickr

Stat!: Health Conditions Most Apt to Keep You from Work

Top five health conditions causing people to miss work for 10 or more days each year: Heart disease Diabetes Depression High blood pressure Stress/anxiety Notably, these are overwhelmingly preventable conditions, brought on or aggravated by lifestyle choices. Could the bad economy spur more of us to make better health choices? There’s certainly financial incentive. After …

Stat!: Who Do You Trust for Health Information?

Percent of Americans who say they’re most apt to trust their primary health care provider for advice on dealing with a serious medical condition: 67 Percent who most trust the government or nonprofit organizations: 1 Who trust media outlets: 1 Who trust the drug companies: 1   Source Envison Solutions Insight Report: Trust & the …

Stat!: So Much Spent on Health Care, and What Do We Get?

Percent of GDP spent on health care in the United Kingdom: 8.7 In the US: more than 16 Life expectancy at birth in the UK: 78.7 years In the US: 78 Image by thinkpanama via Flickr Percent of income a four-member American family making $50,000 a year will pay into the US health care system …

Stat!: “Breakfast Is Important, but…”

Percent of Americans who say breakfast is the most important meal of the day: 92 Image by Bob van Martin, via Flickr Percent of Americans who eat breakfast every day: 46 Source: IFIC 2008 Food and Health Survey