Synopsis for November 11, 2005

The MMWR is embargoed until Thursday, 12 PM EDT.

1. Cigarette Smoking Among Adults – United States, 2004
2. State-Specific Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking and Quitting Among Adults – United States, 2004
3. Outbreak of Mesotherapy-Associated Skin Reactions – District of Columbia Area, January-February 2005
4. Prevalence of Multiple Preventive-Care Services Among Adults with Diabetes – United States 2002 - 2004
5. Update: West Nile Virus Activity – United States, 2005

Cigarette Smoking Among Adults – United States, 2004

More states need to fully implement comprehensive tobacco prevention and control programs if they are to achieve the Healthy People 2010 health objective of reducing smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less.

A study published in the November 11 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), found that for the second year in a row, Utah reached the Healthy People 2010 health objective of reducing smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less. For the first time, California women also reached this goal. Adult smoking prevalence varied across 49 states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (range: 9.5 percent to 27.6 percent). In the majority of states, most adults have never been smokers, and among those who have ever smoked, more than half have quit. However, the rate of decline in current smoking is not rapid enough for most states to achieve the 2010 objective.

State-Specific Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking and Quitting Among Adults – United States, 2004

While smoking prevalence was significantly lower from 2002 to 2004, the observed rate of decline in the last decade is not fast enough to meet the 2010 national health objective of reducing adult smoking prevalence to 12 percent or less.

A study published in the November 11 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) journal, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), found that 44.5 million adults (20.9 percent) in the United States were current smokers in 2004—down from 22.5 percent in 2002 and 24.1 percent in 1998. An estimated 45.6 million adults were former smokers, representing 50.6 percent of those who had ever smoked. The steady decline in smoking prevalence has been observed nationally, but in some segments of the population smoking prevalence remains high. Comprehensive tobacco control programs need to ensure that their prevention and cessation efforts reach persons with inadequate resources and limited access to health care.

Outbreak of Mesotherapy-Associated Skin Reactions – District of Columbia Area, January-February 2005

Mesotherapy is a medical treatment that should be obtained from licensed healthcare providers who inject FDA-approved medications using safe-injection practices. Patients should ask their providers what they are injecting to ensure the substances are FDA approved.

In January and February 2005, 14 women in the Washington, DC area reported prolonged skin reactions where they received mesotherapy injections from an unlicensed provider. Mesotherapy is a medical treatment involving tiny injections into the skin for various purposes, e.g. fat reduction, body contouring, wrinkle reduction, or pain. Patients reported being told their injections contained a variety of substances such as artichoke and thuja plant extracts and "graphites." Multiple breaches in safe-injection practices by the provider were also reported, including failure to wash his hands before injecting and failure to wear gloves. Like any other medical procedure, mesotherapy is associated with risks and benefits. Risks can be minimized if the provider follows safe injection practices and injects only FDA-approved sterile substances.

Prevalence of Multiple Preventive-Care Services Among Adults with Diabetes – United States 2002 - 2004

Understanding barriers to getting multiple preventive-care services and continued efforts to assure their delivery will improve health status in persons with diabetes. Possible barriers to not receiving recommended preventive-care services could include lack of awareness, inadequate health insurance coverage and patients' inability to make co-payments or visit specialists.

More than 18 million adults in the United States have diabetes and are at risk of developing complications such as blindness, amputation of lower-extremities, kidney failure, and heart disease. Recommended preventive-care services such as getting an annual foot and eye examination and two or more tests to determine the A1c levels can prevent or delay the development of amputation, blindness, and other complications. In our study, 4 in 10 (39.5 percent) U.S. adults with diabetes reported receiving all three preventive-care services and persons recently diagnosed with diabetes (less than 5years) and current smokers were least likely to receive all three preventive-care services.

Update: West Nile Virus Activity – United States, 2005

No Summary Available.

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