Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

About: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is a government organization based out in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Public health. The organization has 58238 authors who have published 82592 publications receiving 4405701 citations. The organization is also known as: CDC & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The decline in blood lead levels in the United States. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES)

Abstract: Objective. —To describe trends in blood lead levels for the US population and selected population subgroups during the time period between 1976 and 1991. Design. —Two nationally representative cross-sectional surveys and one cross-sectional survey representing Mexican Americans in the southwestern United States. Setting/Participants. —Participants in two national surveys that included blood lead measurements: the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1976 to 1980 (n=9832), and phase 1 of the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988 to 1991 (n=12119). Also, Mexican Americans participating in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1982 to 1984 (n=5682). Results. —The mean blood lead level of persons aged 1 to 74 years dropped 78%, from 0.62 to 0.14 μmol/L (12.8 to 2.8 μg/dL). Mean blood lead levels of children aged 1 to 5 years declined 77% (0.66 to 0.15 μmol/L [13.7 to 3.2 μg/dL]) for non-Hispanic white children and 72% (0.97 to 0.27 μmol/L [20.2 to 5.6 μg/dL]) for non-Hispanic black children. The prevalence of blood lead levels 0.48 μmol/L (10 μg/dL) or greater for children aged 1 to 5 years declined from 85.0% to 5.5% for non-Hispanic white children and from 97.7% to 20.6% for non-Hispanic black children. Similar declines were found in population subgroups defined by age, sex, race/ethnicity, income level, and urban status. Mexican Americans also showed similar declines in blood lead levels of a slightly smaller magnitude over a shorter time. Conclusions. —The results demonstrate a substantial decline in blood lead levels of the entire US population and within selected subgroups of the population. The major cause of the observed decline in blood lead levels is most likely the removal of 99.8% of lead from gasoline and the removal of lead from soldered cans. Although these data indicate major progress in reducing lead exposure, they also show that the same sociodemographic factors continue to be associated with higher blood lead levels, including younger age, male sex, non-Hispanic black race/ ethnicity, and low income level. Future efforts to remove other lead sources (eg, paint, dust, and soil) are needed but will be more difficult than removing lead from gasoline and soldered cans. (JAMA. 1994;272:284-291)

Standards for epidemiologic studies and surveillance of epilepsy

Abstract: Worldwide, about 65 million people are estimated to have epilepsy. Epidemiologic studies are necessary to define the full public health burden of epilepsy; to set public health and health care priorities; to provide information needed for prevention, early detection, and treatment; to identify education and service needs; and to promote effective health care and support programs for people with epilepsy. However, different definitions and epidemiologic methods complicate the tasks of these studies and their interpretations and comparisons. The purpose of this document is to promote consistency in definitions and methods in an effort to enhance future population-based epidemiologic studies, facilitate comparison between populations, and encourage the collection of data useful for the promotion of public health. We discuss: (1) conceptual and operational definitions of epilepsy, (2) data resources and recommended data elements, and (3) methods and analyses appropriate for epidemiologic studies or the surveillance of epilepsy. Variations in these are considered, taking into account differing resource availability and needs among countries and differing purposes among studies.

Recommended Amount of Sleep for a Healthy Adult: A Joint Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society.

Abstract: Sleep is essential for optimal health. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and Sleep Research Society (SRS) developed a consensus recommendation for the amount of sleep needed to promote optimal health in adults, using a modified RAND Appropriateness Method process. The recommendation is summarized here. A manuscript detailing the conference proceedings and evidence supporting the final recommendation statement will be published in SLEEP and the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Citation: Watson NF, Badr MS, Belenky G, Bliwise DL, Buxton OM, Buysse D, Dinges DF, Gangwisch J, Grandner MA, Kushida C, Malhotra RK, Martin JL, Patel SR, Quan SF, Tasali E. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research Society. SLEEP 2015;38(6):843–844.

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Alcoholic Parents, and Later Risk of Alcoholism and Depression

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: The study examined how growing up with alcoholic parents and having adverse childhood experiences are related to the risk of alcoholism and depression in adulthood. METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, 9,346 adults who visited a primary care clinic of a large health maintenance organization completed a survey about nine adverse childhood experiences: experiencing childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse; witnessing domestic violence; parental separation or divorce; and growing up with drug-abusing, mentally ill, suicidal, or criminal household members. The associations between parental alcohol abuse, the adverse experiences, and alcoholism and depression in adulthood were assessed by logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The risk of having had all nine of the adverse childhood experiences was significantly greater among the 20 percent of respondents who reported parental alcohol abuse. The number of adverse experiences had a graded relationship to alcoholism and depression in ad...

The Agent of Bacillary Angiomatosis

Abstract: Background. Bacillary angiomatosis is an infectious disease causing proliferation of small blood vessels in the skin and visceral organs of patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and other immunocompromised hosts. The agent is often visualized in tissue sections of lesions with Warthin—Starry staining, but the bacillus has not been successfully cultured or identified. This bacillus may also cause cat scratch disease. Methods. In attempting to identify this organism, we used the polymerase chain reaction. We used oligonucleotide primers complementary to the 16S ribosomal RNA genes of eubacteria to amplify 16S ribosomal gene fragments directly from tissue samples of bacillary angiomatosis. The DNA sequence of these fragments was determined and analyzed for phylogenetic relatedness to other known organisms. Normal tissues were studied in parallel. Results. Tissue from three unrelated patients with bacillary angiomatosis yielded a unique 16S gene sequence. A sequence obtained from a fou...