Our most intriguing medical facts of 2007

At American Medical News we encounter a number of fascinating pieces of information every week. Here is a look back at the year just past, as reflected in our own selection of the most interesting or noteworthy fact from each issue.

The average American's diet contains 2 to 3 times the recommended amount of salt. (Dec. 24)
A third of practices have partners who refuse to use an EMR system already installed. (Dec. 17)
Skin cells have been reprogrammed to achieve pluripotency. (Dec. 10)
Nearly half of U.S. adults with emphysema and 41% of those with chronic bronchitis are current smokers. (Dec. 3)
37% of U.S. adults say those with unhealthy lifestyles should pay higher health insurance premiums. (Nov. 26)
60% to 70% of patients do not read or understand informed-consent documents. (Nov. 19)
The number of MRSA infections tripled from 2001 to 2005. (Nov. 12)
Americans spent $5,283 per capita on health care in 2004. (Nov. 5)
In 1997, the top 10 health plan companies made up 27% of the market vs. 57% in 2007. (Oct. 22)
About one-third of Hispanics have no health insurance. (Oct. 15)
92% of adults say they always wash their hands after using a public restroom but only 77% actually do. (Oct. 8)
Statins are the best-selling drugs in the history of medicine. (Oct. 1)
Iraq's civilian hospitals have only 35% of the doctors needed. (Sept. 24)
The elderly consume about 40% of all prescription drugs. (Sept. 17)
Multisymptom cold and cough medicines can have 5 or 6 components. (Sept. 10)
3.42 billion prescriptions were written in 2006. (Sept. 3)
5% to 10% of patients diagnosed with MS don't have the disease. (Aug. 27)
50 million to 70 million people in the U.S. have a sleep disorder. (Aug. 20)
75% of emerging human diseases originated in animals. (Aug. 13)
Doctors say pretrial panels resolve 70% of medical liability cases. (Aug. 6)
78% of patients want doctors to shake hands in the first meeting. (July 23)
More than 100 antibiotics are available by prescription. (July 16)
10 states still have eugenic sterilization laws. (July 9)
People who get migraines are more likely to have a psychiatric illness. (July 2)
Mental health professionals experience nonfatal violent crime at 5 times the average rate. (June 25)
In the first second of an ischemic stroke, 32,000 brain cells die. (June 18)
With today's medical tools, doctors could have saved President Lincoln's life. (June 11)
Chronic diseases are responsible for 70% of U.S. deaths each year. (June 4)
Risks are about equal for taking an aspirin a day, driving a car and being a firefighter. (May 28)
60 species of mosquitos in the U.S. have been found infected by West Nile virus. (May 21)
15 states require physician presence during executions. (May 14)
1 in 5 adults has been diagnosed with arthritis. (May 7)
Only a third of doctors know how much their patients spend on prescription drugs. (April 23)
90,000 patients die from hospital-acquired infections each year in the U.S. (April 16)
One researcher took out a $1 million life insurance policy, with her fungus flies as beneficiary. (April 9)
Half of oncologists are age 50 or older. (April 2)
6,000 to 7,000 IMGs in the U.S. are waiting for residencies. (March 26)
76 million illnesses a year can be blamed on foodborne pathogens. (March 19)
Physicians handle an average of 6 patient problems in a routine office visit. (March 12)
Smoking is depicted in more than 70% of PG and PG-13 films. (March 5)
25% of in vitro fertilization clinics do not offer embryo screening. (Feb. 26)
64% of adults in West Virginia are overweight. (Feb. 19)
2% of drugs on the market never have been approved by the FDA. (Feb. 12)
9 million children in the U.S. do not have health insurance. (Feb. 5)
California's universal care plan would put a 2% tax on physicians' gross revenues. (Jan. 29)
17,000 people die from catheter-related bloodstream infections each year. (Jan. 22)
The number of blogs written by clinicians has grown at least tenfold in the past 2 years. (Jan. 15)
Migraines increase the risk of cardiac disease for men. (Jan. 1)

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