Hot Document in May

Health, United States, 2009
With Special Feature on Medical Technology

Health, United States, 2009 is the 33rd annual report on the health status of the Nation and is submitted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to the President and Congress. It contains detailed tables and charts on health status and its determinants, health care resources, health care utilization, and health insurance and expenditures.

The full report contains 150 data tables in addition to the special feature on medical technology. The tables cover the spectrum of health topics, serving as a comprehensive snapshot of the nation's health.

• Life expectancy at birth increased more for the black than for the white population between 1990 and 2007, thereby narrowing the gap in life expectancy between these two racial groups. Overall U.S. life expectancy in 2007 was 77.9 years.
• In 2007, 20 percent of U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers, a slight decrease from 21 percent in the previous three years. Men were more likely to be current cigarette smokers than women (22 percent vs. 17 percent).
• In 2005-2006, 30 percent of adults often or almost always had trouble sleeping in the past month.
• In 2007, 20 percent of adults 18 years and over had at least one emergency department visit in the past year, and 7 percent had two or more visits.
• The percentage of the population taking at least one prescription drug during the previous month increased from 38 percent in 1988-1994 to 47 percent in 2003-2006, and the percentage taking three or more prescription drugs increased from 11 percent to 21 percent.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Please click this link to access the online version of the book.