In the United States, black men who have sex with men (MSM) account for a disproportionate number of new cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (1). From 2001 to 2006, the number of HIV/AIDS cases among black MSM aged 13–24 years in 33 states increased 93% (2). In 2006, more new AIDS cases among black MSM were diagnosed in the South* than in all other U.S. census regions combined (3). In November 2007, the Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reported to CDC an increase in the number of young black MSM who received diagnoses of HIV infection at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in Jackson, Mississippi. MSDH and CDC conducted a survey of 29 young black MSM in the three-county Jackson area who received diagnoses of HIV infection during January 2006–April 2008 to characterize risk behavior and HIV testing behavior. This report summarizes the results of that survey, which found that, during the 12 months before receiving their HIV infection diagnosis, 20 (69%) of the 29 participants had unprotected anal intercourse, but only
Hearts is to engage a broad set of stakeholders involved with health and health care, including clinicians, pharmacists, insurers, health-care systems, retailers, consumer groups, and others. Better alignment and coordination of existing and new prevention and treatment efforts will accelerate translation into practice, resulting in decreased burden to society and greater population health improvements. The two primary goals of Million Hearts are 1) to reduce the need for treatment by empowering persons in the United States to make healthy choices (e.g., avoid tobacco, reduce sodium intake, and reduce artificial trans fat intake) and 2) to improve care for persons who need it through focus on the “ABCS” (i.e., appropriate aspirin use for those at risk, blood pressure control, cholesterol management, and smoking cessation). Million Hearts is being implemented through parallel efforts aimed at clinical settings and communities (3). Community efforts will keep the population healthy and reduce the number of persons who need treatment in the first place. Million Hearts will focus community efforts on decreasing tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke, reducing sodium intake, and eliminating consumption of artificial trans fats (3). Examples The Magnitude of the Problem Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, is the leading cause of death and disability in the United States. Every year, approximately 2 million persons in the United States have a heart attack or stroke and, as a result of these conditions, approximately 800,000 die from cardiovascular disease (1). For those persons who do survive a heart attack or stroke, many are faced with serious illness, disability, and decreased quality of life. The ongoing complications that result from cardiovascular disease greatly contribute to the economic burden on the health-care system and to society as a whole. In 2010, the cost in health-care expenditures and lost productivity in the United States from cardiovascular disease amounted to nearly $444 billion, and these costs are increasing every year (2). This is especially alarming because the primary risk factors for cardiovascular disease (i.e., high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, type 2 diabetes, inactivity, and obesity) are largely preventable and have effective, low-cost treatments (1). If these risk factors were well-controlled through behavioral modification and/or treatment, the risk for death from heart attack and stroke could be reduced by more than half (3,4).
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993 State-Specific Prevalence of Cigarette Smoking Among Adults and Quitting Among Persons Aged 18–35 Years — United States, 2006 996 Update on Vaccine-Derived Polioviruses — Worldwide, January 2006–August 2007 1001 Update: Influenza Activity — United States and Worldwide, May 20–September 15, 2007 1004 Notices to Readers 1006 QuickStats Nonfatal Self-Inflicted Injuries Among Adults Aged >65 Years — United States, 2005