Preventative Care Lacking Among Large Percentage of State's Women

The number of Connecticut women who are foregoing annual preventative health care is growing, especially among minorities and young adults, according to a survey commissioned by Women's Health Connecticut and reported by the Connecticut Health I-Team. Less than half of those surveyed said they were "very satisfied" with the information they receive from their doctors about common health issues, and only 52%, for example, knew the age at which they should start undergoing mammograms.  The survey found that 28% of women in the state had not had an ob-gyn exam in the past year - among minority women, the number was 38%.

The Permanent Commission on the Status of Women, citing data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, recently indicated that as health care grows more expensive, more than 1/4 of non-elderly women (27%) and two-thirds of uninsured women (67%) report that they delayed or went without care they believed they needed because they could not afford it.

Hartford, New Haven Challenging for People with Asthma

The American Asthma and Allergy Foundation marked World Asthma Day by releasing its 2012 Asthma Capital rankings, a list of the 100 “most challenging places to live with asthma” in the United States. Memphis, TN has the distinction of earning the top spot, after being No. 3 last year. Two cities  in New England, unfortunately, made the top ten worst cities in which to live for those with asthma - and none in New England was cited as among the best cities in which to live.

According to the survey, directly behind Memphis is New Haven, which had been ranked at #19 previously. Pollution and pollen are in abundance in New Haven, as is second-hand smoke, according to the report.   The sixth worst city is also in Connecticut.  Hartford’s asthma numbers are growing according to the foundation. Just since last year (2011), Hartford went from number 40 on the list to number 6.

Over 25 million Americans suffer with asthma. Causes are air pollution, second hand smoke, genetics, and pollen (environmental factors).

Every Day a Suicide in Connecticut

The 371 suicides in Connecticut last year were most since 1991, when Connecticut's chief medical examiner's office reported 362 suicides.  Suicides increased to 371 in 2011 from 358 in 2010. There were 283 suicides among men in 2010 and 75 among women. In 1991, there were 362 suicides – 290 involving men and 72 involving women. The economic downturn is cited as a possible cause of the increase.  New Haven County had the highest number of suicides last year with 99, followed by Hartford County with 87. The most recent national figures show Connecticut ranked 47th in suicides among states in 2009 with a rate of 9 per 100,000 people.

In Connecticut, the Jordan Matthew Porco Memorial Foundation has created the National FRESH-CHECK Day to honor all college students in our country who are feeling the strain of a new environment, living situations, pressures, and the world of college-life - in an effort to prevent suicides.  Eastern Connecticut State University hosted the organization's  first FRESH-CHECK Day earlier this month.

MATCH Coaltion Reports 70% Want to Quit Smoking

A new report issued this month by the U.S. Surgeon General indicates that 3.6 million youth in the U.S. are cigarette smokers.  The report found that for every tobacco-related death, two new young people under the age of 26 become regular smokers. Mobilize Against Tobacco for Connecticut’s  Health (MATCH) is a statewide coalition of organizations and individuals fighting to reduce tobacco use – the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Connecticut and the U.S.

According to the most recent statistics compiled by the MATCH Coalition, 15.4% of adults smoke in Connecticut, and 24% of people ages 18-24.  Each year, 4,700 people in Connecticut die from smoking, including 440 who die from secondhand smoke.  More than 2/3 of Connecticut’s smokers indicated they want to quit (70%), nearly half attempt to quit each year (45%) and only 5% are successful for longer than one year.

The national report found that nearly 90 percent of new smokers under age 26 try their first cigarette by age 18. Approximately 3 out of 4 high school smokers continue to smoke well into adulthood.

Responsibility for Elderly Often by Unpaid Caregivers

In Connecticut, 486,000 people -- more than one in eight state residents -- were providing care to an adult with limitations in his or her activities at any given point in 2009, according to the report by AARP Public Policy Institute. A CT Mirror article highlights some of their stories. An estimated 42 million Americans act as unpaid caregivers, forming what experts call the backbone of the long-term care system. They far outnumber the home care workforce, providing services that one report estimated would cost $450 billion if performed by paid workers.

Personalized Medicine Future is Underway in New Haven

While Jackson Labs has garnered most of the public attention in Connecticut with their high profile plan to establish a personalized medicine research facility on the UConn Health Center campus in Farmington - with significant financial incentives courtesy of the State of Connecticut - the effort to establish Connecticut as a leader in the emerging medical research field is taking root elsewhere in the state as well. Precipio Diagnostics - recently relocated from New Jersey to New Haven - is in the vanguard of the personalized medicine revolution, bringing scientific breakthroughs to the broader market where diagnostic developments can reach more oncology practices, and through them, help provide the best care to more cancer patients.  The company's association with Yale's School of Medicine puts the latest scientific advances within reach of oncology practices in Connecticut, and beyond.  The company currently has 14 staff members, including four who relocated from New Jersey.  Plans are to hire 15 more employees within the next 24 months.

“The accuracy of diagnosis is the basis for treatment. And the correct treatment can extend, and even save, patients’ lives,” said Precipio CEO Ilan Danieli. “Our goal is to become the market leader of personalized medicine in cancer diagnostics.”

National Walking Day Observed in CT to Promote Heart Health

Wednesday, April 4 is the American Heart Association's National Walking Day.  On this day, employees are encouraged to wear sneakers to work and take at least 30 minutes out of their day to get up and walk. It's a great way to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and to give coworkers a friendly nudge toward a healthier life.   Overall, the AHA recommends 150 minutes of physical activity, like brisk walking, each week. In Connecticut, radio station WDRC is advocating participation, mentioning the story of one of their own - afternoon host Floyd Wright, who returned to the airwaves recently after bypass surgery and now follows a walking and exercise  regimen.

Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S. and Connecticut.  The Connecticut chapter of AHA reports that heart disease and stroke account for 31% of all female deaths in Connecticut, and that on average nearly 13 women die from heart attack and stroke each day in Connecticut.  Brisk walking for as little as 30 minutes a day will help:

• Improve self-image and energy level
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Increase enthusiasm and optimism
• Improve muscle tone and strength
• Increase circulation
• Lower blood cholesterol, triglyceride and blood pressure levels
• Reduce weight and
• Lower bone loss

CT Alzheimer's Conference Focus on Families, Growing Numbers

It has been estimated that in Connecticut in 2011, approximately 174,000 people provided unpaid care to about 70,000 individuals with alzheimer's or dementia.  The 15th Annual Connecticut Statewide Education Conference hosted by the Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association will be held on March 27, 2012 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cromwell, CT. Across the U.S., there are 5.4 million people living with Alzheimer's today; by 2025 the number is expected to increase to 16 million unless medical responses change the current trajectory of the disease.  In Connecticut, the number of individuals known to have Alzheimer's grew by 3 percent during the past decade, and that number is expected to continue increasing as the general population - spurred by baby boomers - continues to get older.

CT Health Reform Report Card Issued

The New Haven-based Connecticut Health Policy Project, a non-profit, non-partisan research and educational organization dedicated to improving access to affordable, quality health care, has issued aReport Card for Connecticut.  The organization surveyed more than three dozen "thought leaders" serving on health-related state councils, boards, committees and among the leadership of health-related organizations.  The respondents included providers, consumer advocates, labor, business, insurance brokers, and academics.  The results:  Connecticut received a C in health reform, a C+ in effort, and a D in "engaging consumers in policy making."  Connecticut's Medicaid efforts earned a B.

Rare Diseases Focus of CT-Based National Organization

Statistics from the Danbury-based National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) indicate that 30 million Americans - nearly 1 in 10 people - are diagnosed with one of about 7,000 rare diseases.  It has been estimated that approximately 357,000 people in Connecticut are facing rare diseases. Consider their families, friends, neighbors and co-workers, and the number of people impacted grows considerably.  It has been further estimated that approximately 80 percent of rare diseases are genetic in origin, which translates to about 285,600 people in Connecticut. NORD is a federation of voluntary health organizations committed to the identification, treatment and cure of rare diseases through education, advocacy and research, with national headquarters in Danbury and offices in Washington D.C.  Only about 200 of the rare diseases have treatments currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which leaves a vague and often lengthy path to treatment and insurance coverage.  That's where NORD steps up to help patients and their families.