NCHS data brief
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Drug poisoning (overdose) is the number one cause of injury-related death in the United States, with 43,982 deaths occurring in 2013. While much attention has been given to deaths involving opioid analgesics, in recent years there has been a steady increase in the number of drug-poisoning deaths involving heroin. A recent study using data from 28 states reported that the death rate for heroin overdose doubled from 2010 through 2012. Using data from the National Vital Statistics System, this data brief provides a description of trends and demographics for heroin-related drug-poisoning deaths in the United States from 2000 through 2013.
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Data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, 2010-2011. In 2010-2011, the emergency department (ED) visit rate for motor vehicle traffic injuries was highest among persons aged 16-24 years. The rates declined with age after 16-24, with rates for those aged 0-15 similar to those 65 and over. ⋯ In spite of improvements in motor vehicle safety in recent years, motor vehicle crashes remain a major source of morbidity and mortality in the United States (1-3). Motor vehicle-related deaths and injuries also result in substantial economic and societal costs related to medical care and lost productivity (4). This report describes the rates and characteristics of emergency department (ED) visits for motor vehicle traffic injuries during 2010-2011 based on nationally representative data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS).
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Among U. S. adults aged 18-64, strategies for reducing prescription drug costs were more commonly practiced by those who were uninsured than those who had public or private coverage. Lack of health insurance coverage and poverty are recognized risk factors for not taking medication as prescribed due to cost. ⋯ Income was also associated with the use of cost-reduction strategies. Among adults aged 65 and over, those living with incomes at 139%-400% FPL were more likely than adults living in lower or higher income thresholds to have asked their provider for a lower-cost prescription to save money. These patterns in the estimates by insurance status and poverty level are similar to those previously reported using the 2011 NHIS data.
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Forty-three percent of adults with depression were obese as compared with 33% of adults without depression. Women with depression were more likely to be obese than women without depression. The relationship was consistent across all age groups among women and was also seen in men aged 60 and over. ⋯ In this study, it is not clear whether depression or obesity occurred first because they were both measured at the same time. Other studies have shown a bidirectional relationship, meaning obesity increases risk of depression and depression increases risk of obesity. Knowledge of these risks may help general medical practitioners and mental health professionals plan prevention and treatment.
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Data from the National Vital Statistics System, Mortality File. The age-adjusted rate for opioid-analgesic poisoning deaths nearly quadrupled from 1.4 per 100,000 in 1999 to 5.4 per 100,000 in 2011. Although the opioid-analgesic poisoning death rates increased each year from 1999 through 2011, the rate of increase has slowed since 2006. ⋯ Drugs-both illicit and pharmaceutical-are the major cause of poisoning deaths, accounting for 90% of poisoning deaths in 2011. Misuse or abuse of prescription drugs, including opioid-analgesic pain relievers, is responsible for much of the recent increase in drug-poisoning deaths (2). This report highlights trends in drug-poisoning deaths involving opioid analgesics (referred to as opioid-analgesic poisoning deaths) and updates previous Data Briefs on this topic.