Hysterectomies

The rate of hysterectomies in the United States has remained fairly constant over time. In 1994, there were some 556,000 hysterectomies performed for a rate of 214.7/100,000 persons (not just women). In 2004, there were about 617,000 such procedures performed for a rate of 21.1/10,000 persons.

The rate by year and by age group as well as the the number by year and age group are also available.

These data come from the Hospital Discharge Survey.

CDC’s Abortion Surveillance Report

The National Center for Health Statistics does not track the number of abortions. Abortions are tracked through CDC’s Abortion Surveillance System and reported annually in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Reports covering 1979 through the most current report are located at the above link. Typically, these reports are published in the last week of November and lag three years.

Click the icon for a CDC podcast on the abortion surveillance system

Wireless Use in the United States

Most of our data sets are distinctly health and medical related. But not all. Using the National Health Interview Survey as a vehicle we have published on the trend of households abandoning landline telephone in favor of wireless. The most recent report, covering July-December 2006 is here. Earlier reports are here and here.

Age of Mothers

The age of mothers has been increasing over time. Tables documenting this trend, from 1960 through 2004, as well as the increasing number of older women chosing to have children can be found here.

International Life Expectancy

Several news outlets have been running stories comparing the life expectancy in the United States with the life expectancy in other nations. We do not track life expectancy in other nations. US life expectancy can be found here. International life expectancy, as compiled by the Census Bureau, can be found here.

Mean height and weight of children

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has studied the height and weight of Americans for decades. Tables documenting the increase in both height and weight for children and adolescents aged 2-19 since 1963 can be found here.

Anti-depressant Use

CNN recently ran a story that has gained some attention. It is entitled CDC: Antidepressants most prescribed drugs in U.S.

[...]According to a government study, antidepressants have become the most commonly prescribed drugs in the United States. They’re prescribed more than drugs to treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, or headaches. CNN’s Elizabeth Cohen discusses the CDC study on antidepressants »

In its study, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention looked at 2.4 billion drugs prescribed in visits to doctors and hospitals in 2005. Of those, 118 million were for antidepressants.

High blood pressure drugs were the next most-common with 113 million prescriptions.

The use of antidepressants and other psychotropic drugs — those that affect brain chemistry — has skyrocketed over the last decade.

Adult use of antidepressants almost tripled between the periods 1988-1994 and 1999-2000.

Between 1995 and 2002, the most recent year for which statistics are available, the use of these drugs rose 48 percent, the CDC reported.

The data for this report comes from our flagship publication Health, United States and in the 2006 edition is found at Table 92. This publication is an invaluable resource for anyone writing about health issues. If you are just interested in the drug use data click here.