Other Chronic Diseases

Did You Know? is a weekly feature from the Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support to inform your prevention activities. We invite you to read, share, and take action!

View the Current Did You Know?

June 16, 2017

An influenza pandemic is a global outbreak of a new influenza A virus. Because a flu pandemic is unpredictable, it can occur at any time.
Over the last 100 years, only 4 flu pandemics have occurred, but they resulted in close to 1 million deaths in the United States.
Public health professionals can use CDC’s updated Community Mitigation Guidelines to Prevent Pandemic Influenza–United States, 2017 to prepare now for a flu pandemic.

May 19, 2017

Lupus, an autoimmune disease that triggers inflammation in different tissues of the body, affects more than 320,000 people in the United States.
To help improve the quality of life for people living with lupus, CDC recommends a broad public health approach [PDF-8MB] to diagnosis, disease management, treatment, and research.
Primary care physicians and specialists can use resources for healthcare providers to speed diagnosis and improve treatment of lupus.

March 31, 2017

CDC and its partners released a website that provides first-of-its-kind, neighborhood-level health data for the 500 largest US cities [PDF-269KB].
The 500 Cities project provides data on 5 risk behaviors, 13 health outcomes, and 9 prevention practices for the most common, costly, and preventable chronic diseases.
Health professionals can view data by city or census tract, explore the interactive map, get map books for individual cities, and compare cities to identify emerging health problems and plan effective interventions.

March 10, 2017

According to this month’s Vital Signs, about 1 in 4 adults in the United States has arthritis.
About 24 million adults with arthritis are limited in their everyday activities, such as holding a cup, lifting a grocery bag, or walking to a car.
Public health professionals can promote physical activity and disease management programs to adults with arthritis.

February 24, 2017

Kidney diseases are the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.
Kidneys can become damaged by diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and other causes, leading to a condition called chronic kidney disease.
Health professionals can improve patient outcomes [PDF-3.7MB] by using strategies outlined in CDC’s Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative [PDF-1.4MB].

February 17, 2017

Americans living in rural areas are more likely to die from heart disease, cancer, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than Americans in urban areas.
Compared with urban residents, rural residents are more likely to smoke, be overweight, and not meet physical activity recommendations.
You can find ways to help reduce the difference between rural and urban disease risk in a special MMWR series and in Healthy People 2020.

October 21, 2016

Dental sealants prevent 80% of cavities in the back teeth (molars), where most cavities occur.
School-aged children without dental sealants have almost 3 times more cavities than those with sealants―according to the latest Vital Signs report.
States can protect millions more children from cavities by starting or expanding dental sealant programs in schools.

October 14, 2016

Almost 15 million US adults with arthritis have severe joint pain, according to a new study.
By 2040, the number of adults with arthritis will increase from 53 million to 78 million, and the number with severe joint pain also may increase.
Proven physical activity and self-management education programs can reduce or manage arthritis pain without prescription opioids or other drugs.

September 30, 2016

Despite the benefits of regular exercise, 31 million adults aged 50 years or older are inactive.
Many chronic conditions can be prevented or managed [PDF-1.6MB] with physical activity.
Communities can create a culture that supports physical activity by making design enhancements and offering healthy lifestyle programs.

November 15, 2013

Colorectal cancer screening tests save lives by finding precancerous polyps and colorectal cancer early, when treatment works best. Screening is recommended for men and women aged 50–75 years.
Several types of tests are used to screen for colorectal cancer. Ask your doctor [PDF-178KB] which test is right for you.
The 25 states and 4 tribes in CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program provide screening services to underinsured low-income men and women aged 50–64 years.

June 14, 2013

More than two thirds of Medicare beneficiaries have multiple chronic conditions, such as heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, that require ongoing medical attention or limit their daily activities.
In 2011, 93 percent of Medicare spending, or $276 billion, was allocated for caring for beneficiaries with two or more chronic conditions.
Researchers and health professionals can use the new Chronic Conditions Dashboard to find data on the prevalence and costs of chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries.

March 1, 2013

More than 20 million US adults [PDF-486KB] are estimated to have chronic kidney disease (CKD), and most of them are unaware of their condition.
CDC’s new CKD Surveillance System tracks CKD in the US population over time and highlights federal efforts to prevent, detect, and manage the disease.
Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States; March is designated National Kidney Month to raise awareness of this condition.

Did You Know? information and web links are current as of their publication date. They may become outdated over time.