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MMWR
Synopsis for June 2, 2000

MMWR articles are embargoed until 4 PM EST.

  1. Prevalence of Selected Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors by Sociodemographic Characteristics Among American Indians and Alaska Natives — United States, 1997
  2. HIV/AIDS Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Inject Drugs — United States, 1985–1998
  3. Heat-Related Illnesses, Deaths and Risk Factors — Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, 1999, and United States, 1979–1997
 

MMWR
Synopsis for June 2, 2000

Prevalence of Selected Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors by Sociodemographic Characteristics Among American Indians and Alaska Natives — United States, 1997

Heart disease and stroke, the principal causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD), are the first and fifth leading causes of death among American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN).

PRESS CONTACT: 
Verna Lamar Welch, Ph.D., M.P.H.

CDC, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion
(770) 488–2424
 
Risk factors for CVD often occur together. As the number of risk factors increases so does the likelihood of developing CVD. Results from CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), a national telephone survey, indicate that 63.7% of AI/AN men and 61.4% of AI/AN women had one or more of the following CVD risk factors; hypertension, current cigarette smoking, high cholesterol, obesity, and diabetes. About 22% of participants reported being told by a health professional that they had hypertension (men = 21.0%, women = 23.0%). Thirty-one percent reported they were current smokers (men = 32.8% women = 28.8%). Nearly 16% were told by a health care professional that they had high cholesterol, and more than 7% were told they had diabetes. Awareness of high cholesterol and diabetes was higher among women (17.6%, 9.1%) than men (13.8%, 5.5%).

 

HIV/AIDS Among Men Who Have Sex With Men and Inject Drugs — United States, 1985–1998

A CDC study looks at AIDS incidence and risk behavior among men who report both sexual contact with other men and injecting drug use (MSM/IDU).

PRESS CONTACT:
Office of Communications

CDC, National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention
(404) 639–8895
 
In 1998, 2,161 MSM/IDU were diagnosed with AIDS in 1998, a 37% decline since 1996. This decline is due in part to the availability of more effective HIV treatments in recent years. Supplemental research points to continued risk behavior among MSM/IDU. Interviews with more than 500 MSM/IDU recently diagnosed with AIDS found that 76% reported having sex with a man and 43% reported sex with a woman in the past 5 years, and nearly half of these did not always use condoms. Additionally, 34% had injected drugs during the same time period, with 45% reporting sharing needles. These findings point to the dangerous intersection of risk for men who have sex with men, injection drug users and women, and indicate a need for comprehensive HIV prevention programs to slow the spread of the epidemic in all three groups.

 

 

Heat-Related Illnesses, Deaths and Risk Factors — Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio, 1999, and United States, 1979–1997

Sickness and death from environmental heat, both man-made and weather-related (such as heat waves), can be prevented.

PRESS CONTACT:
Enzo Campagnolo, D.V.M., M.P.H.

CDC, National Center for Environmental Health
(404) 639–2530
 
Heat-related illness, injuries and deaths are preventable. High environmental temperatures, such as during heat waves, have been associated with increased mortality, but the effect of hot weather on human mortality is likely underestimated. This report describes four instances of heat-related deaths that occurred in the cities of Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio during the 1999 summer heat wave, summarizes heat-related deaths in the United States during 1979-1997, and describes the risk factors associated with heat-related illness and death. Persons at increased risk for heat-related illness and death include infants, the elderly (>65 years), persons with impaired mobility, persons physically active in hot environments who fail to rest frequently or drink enough fluids, and persons using certain drugs or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.

 


 

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