Got Shots?

While you may believe you’re safe from influenza or pneumonia, think about this: 2,468,435 total people in the United States died in 2010; among the top 10 causes were influenza or pneumonia (listed as the 9^th most popular cause of death that year).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, slightly more than 50,000 people died that year from influenza or pneumonia, a significant number of them being over the age of 65. What’s disappointing about that number is that nearly all of these cases were preventable by a simple vaccine.

Senior citizens are among the highest at-risk populations to obtain either influenza or pneumonia. They are also at the greatest risk of dying from either disease. While this group is among the largest percentage of people who routinely receive the vaccinations for both diseases, that percentage is around only 65%. That means that 35% of our elderly population is at risk for catching the flu or pneumonia.

Of interest, the number of senior citizens who received vaccinations for influenza or pneumonia in 2010 was lower than those who had gotten them in 2009. Data beyond 2010 is still being analyzed; however, preliminary reports suggest that the number of people age 65 and older who got their influenza or pneumococcal vaccinations in 2011 had increased by nearly 4 percentage points. That’s a good sign as we move forward – when the population of people reaching and exceeding age 65 will surge in the coming years.

It should be of no surprise that the United States is experiencing the highest growth rate of senior citizens in its history. A CDC report, “The State of Aging and Health in America 2013,” credits two elements for this: the aging Baby Boomer generation and longer life expectancies. According to the CDC, by 2030, we will have about 72 million people age 65 and older living in the country – that’s approximately 20% of the total U.S. population.

While the report presented some interesting statistics, there are two key areas that remain national target goals: vaccinations for influenza and vaccinations for pneumonia. If the vaccination rate of 65% of senior citizens remains stagnant over the coming years, it will leave 25.2 million older adults unprotected from two deadly yet preventable diseases within the next two decades.

So, is it too late to get a flu shot?

According to the CDC, it is definitely not too late. Flu season peaks in January or February, but can extend into May. Therefore, you’re still gaining protection if you get the shot now. It is highly recommended that people over age 65 obtain the high dose shot of the influenza vaccine, which provides the additional antibodies needed to ward off the virus. As we age, the body’s ability to fend off illnesses weakens; therefore, stronger immunities through stronger vaccinations can be valuable. The important thing to remember about seasonal influenza is that you will need to get the vaccine each year. The virus mutates annually, so the antibodies you have for this season will not be effective in the next season. Don’t wait this long next season…mark your calendars to get the shot in September.

What about the pneumococcal vaccine? In contrast to influenza, pneumonia is not a mutating virus that changes annually. It is bacteria that cause the illness. The pneumococcal vaccination is a one-time shot and protects against 23 separate strains of bacteria that can produce pneumonia. It is important to know that those who were vaccinated earlier than age 60 are strongly encouraged to have a second vaccination at age 65 to boost immunity through the upper ages.

Of interest, there are more than 80 strains of bacteria that can cause pneumonia; however, the most common infections are produced by the 23 strains that the vaccine protects against.

Before signing up for any vaccination protocol, a senior citizen should first consult their primary care physician.

The CDC has discovered that there are certain health-related reasons why the influenza vaccine should be avoided: 1) those with allergies to chicken eggs; 2) those who have suffered severe reactions to the flu vaccine in prior years; 3) those who have a fever at the time the vaccination is to be given; and 4) those with a history of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

As for the pneumonia immunization, those with a history of any negative health reaction to past vaccinations should avoid the vaccine. For pregnant women, it is unclear if the vaccine is harmful to either the mother or fetus if given to the pregnant woman. Research is still underway.

Regardless, if you’re interested in getting your influenza or pneumonia vaccine, contact your doctor to find out if you qualify for the immunizations and schedule your appointment today.

References

Bemis, E. (2012). Flu and pneumonia shots for seniors – is it too late? Retrieved from http://www.umh.org/assisted-independent-living-blog/bid/243191/Flu-and-Pneumonia-Shots-for-Seniors-Is-it-Too-Late.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Receipt of influenza vaccination. Receipt of pneumococcal vaccination. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis/released201206.htm#4.

Flu.gov. (2013). Vaccination and vaccine safety. Retrieved from http://www.flu.gov/prevention-vaccination/vaccination/.

Murphy, S. L., Xu, J., Kochanek, K. D. (2013). Deaths: Final data for 2010. National Vital Statistics Reports, 61(4), 1-118. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf.

Schiffman, G. and Shiel Jr., W. C. (2012). Pneumococcal vaccination. Retrieved from http://www.medicinenet.com/pneumococcal_vaccination/article.htm#what_is_pneumococcal_vaccination.

Crawford County: Healthier than its Neighbors?

The 2013 County Health Rankings showed that Crawford County ranked the highest in overall health among all five northwestern Pennsylvania counties.

The recently released county-by-county health rankings, compiled as a complementary document to America’s Health Rankings, measured the overall health and health factors combined to rank the health status of all the U.S. counties.

Out of the 67 counties in Pennsylvania, Crawford was came in just above the 50 percent mark at No. 32 in overall health outcomes. While only at No. 32, Crawford County far exceeded the health outcomes of its neighboring counties of Erie, Mercer, Warren, and Venango.

Erie County to the north came in at No. 49; Venango (southeast) slotted in at No. 37; Warren County (east) ranked No. 40; and Mercer County to the south fared the worst of the five counties at No. 51. The closest county with a higher ranking is Butler County, just to the north of Pittsburgh, which came in at No. 10.

This implies that Crawford County may be doing more to improve the overall health of its residents than its neighbors. A complete scientific analysis would have to be done to make an official determination of this nature.

However, despite the positive outcome in comparison to its neighbors, the county is still struggling with several key health concerns. Its biggest overall health outcomes that kept it from a higher rank included a significant number of premature deaths, a high number of self-reported poor health days, and low birth weights among newborns. Factors that affected those outcomes included high rates of smoking, obesity, excessive drinking, physical inactivity, and sexually transmitted infections; as well as poor access to health care insurance, lower education levels, unemployment/low incomes, and lack of adequate social support systems.

Furthermore, the county ranking report indicated that low water quality, high levels of environmental pollution, limited access to healthy foods, an increasing number of fast food restaurants, and poor access to recreational facilities all factored into the county’s ranking.

Of interest, Chester County in the southeast part of the state ranked as the healthiest county with Philadelphia County on the eastern side of the state ranking the worst. The county rankings were performed by the University of Wisconsin and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Pennsylvania’s overall health ranking was similar to Crawford County’s mid-range rank. The recent release of America’s Health Rankings 2013 placed the Commonwealth at No. 29 out of the 50 states, three places worse than the previous year when it was ranked at 26, and one place lower than the No. 28 spot it earned in 2011. Based on this report, Pennsylvania, as a whole, has grown weaker in the areas that were measured to determine overall health.

America’s Health Rankings is the longest-running annual assessment of our nation’s health listed on a state-by-state basis. This report, put together by United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association, and Partnership for Prevention, analyzes various health measures and compares changes over time.

Measures factored into the rankings included: behaviors such as smoking, drinking, obesity, and physical activity; environmental factors such as crime, poverty, pollution, and occupational hazards; polices such as access to health insurance, public health funding, and immunization requirements; and clinical care such as primary care physician and dentist shortages, low birth weight, and preventable hospitalizations.

For Pennsylvania, the three biggest issues that led to the lower ranking were high rates of drug deaths, high levels of air pollution, and low levels of public health funding. Furthermore, the report revealed that obesity rates increased from 2012 to 2013 to nearly 30%. That means that nearly 3 million adults in Pennsylvania are obese.

Despite these issues, there was some good news in the report.  It was discovered that smoking rates did decrease by about 5 percent; yet, more than 2.1 million adults still smoke in Pennsylvania. Also, physical inactivity decreased from 26.2 percent to 23.4 percent over the past year; youth immunization rates increased to nearly 75 percent; and cardiovascular deaths decreased by 31 percent.

The highest ranking states were Hawaii, Vermont, Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire, respectively.  What stands out for these states is the low prevalence of smoking and obesity, high childhood immunization rates, low preventable hospitalization rates, and reduced cancer deaths.

The lowest ranking states were Mississippi (50), Arkansas (49), Louisiana (48), Alabama (47), and West Virginia (46). These states measured high in obesity rates, physical inactivity, poverty, low birth weights, and a very low graduation rate. Furthermore, these states suffer from doctor and dentist shortages, a factor that has been affiliated with poor health outcomes.

Regardless of how you spin either the county or state rankings, we still have some work to do to improve our health and reduce our risk of diseases. By improving our health, we can ultimately reduce the expense of health care and the financial strain on the health care system.

References

United Health Foundation. (2012). America’s Health Rankings 2012 Edition. Minnetonka, NM: United Health Foundation.

United Health Foundation. (2013). America’s Health Rankings 2013. Pennsylvania. Retrieved from http://www.americashealthrankings.org/PA.

University of Wisconsin. (2013). County Health Rankings & roadmaps. 2013 Rankings Pennsylvania. Retrieved from http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/sites/default/files/states/CHR2013_PA_0.pdf.

Photographs: A danger to your memory

With smart phones, digital cameras and other technologies, we are taking far more pictures than ever before. While photographs are nice for capturing the moment, they may actually be hurting your memory.

A recent study by psychologist Linda Henkel of Fairfield University (Connecticut) revealed that people who take pictures have worse memories than those who simply looked at and studied the subject of that picture without whipping out the camera.

Henkel set up her research experiment by leading undergraduate students on a tour of Bellarmine Museum of Art at the university, asking them to take note of things either by photographing them or looking at them. The next day, the students were asked to recall information from their tour. Of interest, those who studied the objects rather than snapping a photograph of them were better able to recall the objects as well as some of their details.

The effect was coined “photo-taking impairment effect.”

According to research, we have become far too reliant on technology to do the work for us that we’ve trained our minds to be lazy. In this case, the camera was expected to take over for brain function. In Psychological Science, where some details of this research were presented, Henkel concluded that “the sheer volume and lack of organization of digital photos for personal memories discourages many people from accessing and reminiscing about them. In order to remember, we have to access and interact with the photos” rather than just snap and forget about them.

In another study by the same researcher, people were asked to look at various photographs of the same completed action – one that they never actually performed themselves. They were later asked if they remembered participating in that action. Of interest, the study found that “despite being wrong, people stated with relatively high confidence that they did remember performing the falsely attributed actions,” meaning that by regular exposure to photographs leaves a memory impression that they were physically involved in that picture in some way.

The key element here: The mind is a powerful tool. Because of that, most of us do not want to lose that power.

Harvard Health came up with a good list of what to do to improve your brain, and none of them involved taking pictures. Here are my favorite four for keeping your mind sharp:

1. Keep learning. Whether you read or take formal classes, keep your brain challenged so that you will stimulate those cells to function properly. Better yet, try to complete the newspaper’s crossword puzzle every day!

2. Use all your senses. Don’t just look at something (or take a picture of it), but smell it, listen to it, touch it, and perhaps taste it. Studies have shown that the more senses that are involved with an element, the better you will be able to retain and recall that memory.

3. Believe in yourself. Self-doubt will have you on the road to poor health, especially memory. Harvard Health states that those who are positive thinkers and believe they can be sharp will have improved memory power.

4. Repeat what you want to remember. Write down a thought or a fact you want to remember, read it over and over, or repeat it several times to commit it to memory. Research has proven that this type of action has improved the memories of those with cognitive issues. Think about what it can do for healthy brains.

It’s okay to take pictures, but remember, use your brain regularly and don’t rely on a camera to remember something for you. It likely won’t help and could hurt you in the long run.

References

Harvard Medical School. (2010). 7 ways to keep your memory sharp at any age. Retrieved from http://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/7-ways-to-keep-your-memory-sharp-at-any-age

Henkel, L. A. (2011). Photograph-induced memory errors: When photographs make people claim they have done things they have not. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 25, 78-86.

Science 2.0. (2013). You don’t need to take pictures of everything – and taking photos may impede memory. Retrieved from http://www.science20.com/news_articles/you_dont_need_take_pictures_everything_and_taking_photos_may_impede_memory-125920.