Angioplasties Increase in Number and Rate

According to Wikipedia, angioplasty was first described in 1964 by Dr. Charles Dotter and successfully used in a clinical setting in 1977 by Dr. Andreas Gruentzig. It was widely seen as a much less invasive and traumatic alternative to bypass surgery.

We first regularized collection of data on angioplasties with our 1994 Hospital Discharge Survey , published as Advance Data #278, October 3, 1996. That report gives the number of angioplasties performed in the US short-stay hospitals as 428,000. 2004 Hospital Discharge Survey data, published as Advance Data #371 on May 4, 2006, reflects the increasing popularity of the procedure. In 2004, 664,000 procedures were performed.

Over time the number of angioplasties have increased.

1999  601,000

2000  561,000

2001  572,000

2002  657,000

2003  664,000

2004  664,000

A study in Health Affairs gives more detail on the use of angioplasty.

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New Report from Vital Statistics

The National Vital Statistics System forms the cornerstone for all US population studies.

The National Vital Statistics System is the oldest and most successful example of inter-governmental data sharing in Public Health and the shared relationships, standards, and procedures form the mechanism by which NCHS collects and disseminates the Nation’s official vital statistics. These data are provided through contracts between NCHS and vital registration systems operated in the various jurisdictions legally responsible for the registration of vital events–births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths

The system is constantly being improved so as to improve data quality and relevance. The 2003 U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth was implented January 1, 2004. Today our Division of Vital Statistics released Expanded Health Data from the New Birth Certificate, 2004.

This report presents 2004 data for the seven-state reporting area on the following maternal, labor and delivery, and newborn items: Risk factors in this pregnancy, Obstetric procedures, Characteristics of labor and delivery, Method of delivery, Abnormal conditions of the newborn, and Congenital anomalies of the newborn

There are some interesting findings on maternal and fetal health, the use of fertility treatments, and methods of delivery. Check it out.

If you have questions on the study leave us a note

Unintentional Injuries and Death

Every week the NCHS contributes a feathure called QuickStats to the CDC professional journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). For the week of April 6, 2007 the feature was entitled Percentage Change in Death Rates for the Leading Causes of Unintentional Injury, by Mechanism of Injury — United States, 1999–2004.

During 1999–2004, age-adjusted unintentional injury death rates increased 6.8%, from 35.3 per 100,000 population to 37.7. This increase was attributed primarily to increases in rates from motorcycle crashes, poisoning (including unintentional drug overdose), and falls. Similar but smaller increases were observed for these causes in 2003, thus the upward trend continued in 2004.

More for Mother’s Day

The mean age at first birth leveled off in 2004 to 25.2 years of age.  According to our publication Births: Final Data for 2004 (see page 2):

The mean or average age at first birth for the United States in 2004 was 25.2 years, unchanged from 2003. Mean age at first birth for non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic women was unchanged between 2003 and 2004. Mean age at first birth was highest for API women, 28.4 years, and lowest for American Indian or Alaska Native women, 21.8 years.

You can see the gradual upward trend since 1970 in this chart (click the thumbnail to enlarge):

You can view or download our report Mean Age of Mother, 1970-2000 or view/download a table containing the mean age at first birth from 1970 to present.

Overweight and obesity

The National Center for Health Statistics provides the “gold standard” for the study of overweight and obesity through the data produced by its National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Unlike some surveys which are conducted by telephone and rely upon self-reported height/weight information, the NHANES provides height and weight data acquired in a clinical setting.

While the telephone survey data are compiled at state and metropolitan statistical area level of detail the NHANES data are only available as national level data.

Links to NCHS overweight and obesity data from 1960 through the most recent are located here on the NCHS website.

We have recently produced data covering children 0-2 years of age and 2-5 years of age.

Firearms deaths

We are all horrified by the senseless murders at Virginia Tech at Blacksburg, VA. 

Historically, homicide has been the second leading cause of death among the young people of college agent following unintentional injuries.

Deaths from firearms among 18-22 year olds:

Year	Deaths	Rate
1999	2,442	12.54
2000	2,482	12.52
2001	2,614	12.82
2002	2,658	12.89
2003	2,694	13.01
2004	2,477	11.95

The CDC provides public use databases for fatal injuries and leading causes of death.

Mother’s Day

As Mother’s Day approaches we get the inevitable question about the number of mothers in the United States. Short answer is that we can’t tell you but the Census Bureau estimates there were 80.5 million mothers in the US. Follow the link to lots more facts on Mother’s Day.

Anti-depressant use by minors

Information on the number of prescriptions written to  minors for anti-depressants can be found in Health, United States 2006 at Table 92. (located on page 331 of a very large .pdf file).

Briefly in the period 1995-96 there were 1.9 prescriptions written for anti-depressants for every 100 persons aged 18 and under. By 2003-04 that number was 8.0.  While both boys and girls received anti-depressants at the same rate (1.9) in 1995-96, in the 2003-04 period boys received 9.1 prescriptions per 100 persons and girls received 6.8.

Unfortunately, we did not collect this data before 1995.