Latest health fast facts

1980s

ADHD wasn't called "ADHD" until the late 1980s.

Source: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

As of September 2023, more than 300 research papers have been published using Sister Study data.

Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

 

Since the Sister Study began 20 years ago, 9.1% of participants have developed breast cancer—that’s 4,628 cases.

Source: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Fruit flies share about 60% of their genes with humans.

Source: National Human Genome Research Institute

 

As of 2021,  29.5 million people aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder in the past year.

Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health

 

Atrial fibrillation, also known as AFib or AF, affects more than 2 million adults in the United States and is one of the most common types of arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms). The risk of developing AFib increases with age, so as the average age in the United States increases, more people will be affected by this condition.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

 

Dr. Koob coined the word hyperkatifeia to describe the negative emotional state associated with drug withdrawal. This state may be caused by changes in the brain's reward and stress systems and is thought to drive alcohol misuse via negative reinforcement (drinking to feel relief from the symptoms of hyperkatifeia).

Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

 

Pain is the most common medical complaint of older Americans. Causes of pain in older adults include joint pain, postsurgical pain, chronic disease, and conditions associated with aging.

Source: The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Autoimmune diseases affect more than 23.5 million Americans. Certain groups of people are at greater risk for some conditions. For example, lupus is more severe for African American and Hispanic people, while type 1 diabetes is more common in White people.

Source: The Office on Women’s Health

 

One of the first known prosthetics was a wooden and leather toe found on an Egyptian mummy that dates to 950-710 B.C.

Source: University of Manchester

 

“Severe” hearing loss is the ability to only hear sounds once they are at least 71 to 90 decibels (for example, a vacuum cleaner or alarm clock). “Profound” hearing loss is the ability to only hear sounds at least 91 decibels (such as a subway, passing motorcycle, or gas lawnmower).

Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

 

Red blood cells that are "sickle" shaped block blood flow through the body, causing recurring pain episodes.

Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

 

Psoriasis may be triggered by stress, injury to the skin, cold weather, illness (if it affects the immune system), allergies, or certain foods and alcohol.

Source: National Psoriasis Foundation

 

Hearing loss affects approximately 37.5 million people in the United States ages 18 years or older. One in three people ages 65 to 74, and nearly half of people ages 75 and older have hearing loss.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

 

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been used in consumer products around the world since about the 1950s.

Source: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

NICHD and Waltham researchers partnered together to explore the impact of interactions between animals and their human companions.

Source: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

 

A symptom of colorectal cancer may be no symptoms at all, so discuss preventative screenings with your doctor.

Source: Colon Cancer Coalition

 

Pulse oximeters as we know them today were invented in the mid-1970s by Takuo Aoyagi, a Japanese electrical engineer. Aoyagi was inspired by the ear oximeters worn by military pilots in World War II to signal when they were at risk of hypoxemia. Pulse oximeters began selling worldwide in the mid-1980s.

Source: National Library of Medicine

 

Myth: Only people with light skin need to wear sunscreen.

Fact: All skin tones are at risk of sun damage and developing cancer. Melanin—the natural pigment in skin, hair, and eyes—protects skin cells by absorbing UV rays. Darker-skinned people are less prone to sunburn but can still develop skin cancer.

Source: NCI

 

The median age for colorectal cancer diagnosis is 66 years old, with most cases diagnosed in people ages 65 to 74.

Source: National Cancer Institute

5M

Dementia likely affects more than 5 million people in the United States, which is expected to increase as the population ages.

Source: Focus on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

 

Hobbies are fun, and they’re also an important part of healthy aging. Research shows that older adults who engage in personally meaningful activities live longer, are less likely to develop certain diseases, and are happier, less depressed, and more resilient.

Source: National Institute on Aging

3.5K

There are more than 3,500 types of mosquitoes.

Source: CDC

10%

Did you know? Ten percent of children ages 5 to 15 have migraine. Migraine Trainer® is an app developed by NINDS to help teens understand possible causes of their migraine attacks and create an individual migraine management plan with support from their parents and health care providers.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

 

Adults need around 2.5 hours of moderate activity per week, about 20 minutes per day, to stay healthy.

Source: NIH

1/5

Childhood obesity affects 1 in 5 children in the United States.

Source: CDC

Long COVID can be considered a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Source: HHS

73%

In an NIH study of more than 8,000 women, 73% gained more than the recommended amount of weight.

Source: NICHD

1/3

During parts of the pandemic, more than a third of American adults reported having symptoms of anxiety.

Source: US Census Bureau

1/5

In 2020, 1 in 5 adults experienced a mental illness, but less than half of them received treatment for it.

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

 

Less than a quarter of children ages 6 to 17 get 60 minutes of exercise each day.

Source: CDC

 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the United States.

Source: CDC

People with underlying conditions are at greater risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

25M

In the United States, nearly 25 million people have asthma, of which 5.5 million are children.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

30%

30% of children with eczema also have a food allergy.

Source: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

86%

86% of burns are heat-related. 4% are electrical burns, and 3% are chemical burns.

Source: National Library of Medicine

1/10

1 in 10 people are affected by a rare disease.

Source: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences

 

When To Test also has a tool for organizations like schools and workplaces and resources to help them develop and implement testing programs for COVID-19.

Source: National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering

1/25

Preeclampsia happens in about 1 in 25 pregnancies in the United States.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Did you know? Vaccines can help protect you and your developing baby against serious diseases. Talk to your health care provider about which ones are right for you.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2X

In the U.S., stillbirths are more than twice as likely among Black women than among white women.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

  

Did you know? Females have two copies of the X chromosome, while males have one X and one Y chromosome.

Source: MedlinePlus

4X

Black women are three to four times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white women.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease among children.

Source: National Cancer Institute

15k  

About 15,000 children under age 20 are diagnosed with cancer each year in the United States.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Headaches overall account for about 3% of all emergency department visits annually in the United States.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

The symptoms of juvenile arthritis may last a few months or years, or throughout a child's life.

Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

 

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, begins in children and adolescents before they turn 16.

Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

 

Sports injuries are first treated with
R-I-C-E: Rest, Ice, Compression (pressure on the injury), Elevation (raise the injured area above the heart).

Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

   

Most people with cystic fibrosis are diagnosed before age 2, but some people are also diagnosed as adults.

Source: Cystic Fibrosis Foundation

Type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in kids and teens, but it can develop at any age.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Hypothyroidism, or an underactive thyroid, is most common in women and in people over the age of 60.

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

 

Ovarian cancer causes more deaths each year in the U.S. than any other gynecologic cancer.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about
1 in 78.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ovarian cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer in the U.S.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

For roughly 70 percent of people with epilepsy, seizures can be controlled with modern medicines and surgery.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Having a seizure does not mean someone has epilepsy. Other causes can include very high blood sugar in diabetics or eclampsia during or after pregnancy.

Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

500k  

Did you know? It's estimated that more than 500,000 people across 33 states will participate in the RADx-UP COVID-19 testing program.

Source: National Institutes of Health

 

Long COVID is a range of symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19.

Source: National Institutes of Health

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that those who are not fully vaccinated from COVID-19 continue to wear masks in many situations. Check the CDC for the latest guidance.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Antibodies are proteins made by our immune systems that can fight infection and help prevent future infections.

Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

4x  

African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native people are around four times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 than White people.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Possible COVID-19 vaccine side effects are swelling and redness at the injection site, fatigue, headache, or slight fever. These are normal signs that your body is building protection.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

10%  

Approximately 5% to 10% of all children will stutter for some period in their life.

Source: National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders

 

If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 

Depression can happen at any age, but often symptoms begin in the teens or early 20s or 30s.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

11.2%  

11.2% of adults 18 and over have regular feelings of worry, nervousness, or anxiety.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention