Mortality Rates

Americans tend to like their fats saturated, their grains processed, their protein grown on legs and their sugar added anywhere their sweet tooth decides it would like some. As for fiber, they're all for it - in, say, their French fries or the pickles on their burger. In a related development, nutrition experts tend to be bummed out by the typical American diet. In fact, many wish we'd trade it in for a diet that's pretty much the opposite, namely, the Mediterranean diet, which favors monounsaturated fat, whole (unprocessed)

In an alarming statistical turn, the number of malaria deaths every year may be vastly underestimated, according to new research re-examining mortality rates from 1980 to 2010. According to a study published in the journal the Lancet, in 2010 there were 1.24 million deaths from malaria worldwide -- nearly twice the World Health Organization estimate of 655,000. And while it's true that malaria deaths have dropped by about 32% since their peak of 1.82 million in 2004, in many regions adults now account for a large slice of the mortality figures.

Your article "High Mortality Rate at Eight Hospitals" (June 11) did not provide adequate information and explanation to the public. Robert F. Kennedy Medical Center has provided quality acute health care services for its community for over 65 years. As a base station for designated paramedic units of L.A. County, our paramedic patients account for as much as one-third of the deaths experienced in some categories, which is a reflection of their high level of acuity upon arrival at the medical center.

Americans tend to like their fats saturated, their grains processed, their protein grown on legs and their sugar added anywhere their sweet tooth decides it would like some. As for fiber, they're all for it - in, say, their French fries or the pickles on their burger. In a related development, nutrition experts tend to be bummed out by the typical American diet. In fact, many wish we'd trade it in for a diet that's pretty much the opposite, namely, the Mediterranean diet, which favors monounsaturated fat, whole (unprocessed)

Underscoring historic recent gains in global health, the number of children younger than 5 who die this year will fall to 7.7 million, down from 11.9 million two decades ago, according to new estimates by population health experts. But as much of the world makes strides in reducing child mortality, the U.S. is increasingly lagging and ranks 42nd globally, behind much of Europe as well as the United Arab Emirates, Cuba and Chile. Twenty years ago, the U.S. ranked 29th in the child mortality rate, according to data analyzed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

Hip fractures in the elderly can be the catalyst for a downward spiral, causing further health complications, a poorer quality of life and sometimes death. But a new study finds that having early surgery for hip fractures may reduce the risk of death. Researchers did a meta-analysis of 16 observational studies on early surgery outcomes for hip fractures that included mortality rates. The studies encompassed 13,478 people ages 60 and older. After analyzing the data, the study authors discovered that those who had surgery less than 24 to 72 hours after the injury or from the time patients were admitted to surgery had a 19% lower death risk.

The rotavirus vaccine introduced in Mexico in 2007 still appears to be preventing diarrhea-related deaths in children, despite speculation that years later the vaccine may not be as effective. In a letter released Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers report that the vaccine still seems to be successful in reducing mortality rates among children. They compared diarrhea-related deaths during the three years after the vaccine was introduced with death rates during rotavirus seasons from 2003 to 2006.

In an alarming statistical turn, the number of malaria deaths every year may be vastly underestimated, according to new research re-examining mortality rates from 1980 to 2010. According to a study published in the journal the Lancet, in 2010 there were 1.24 million deaths from malaria worldwide -- nearly twice the World Health Organization estimate of 655,000. And while it's true that malaria deaths have dropped by about 32% since their peak of 1.82 million in 2004, in many regions adults now account for a large slice of the mortality figures.

Children under age 16 should not be allowed to ride all-terrain vehicles because the vehicles can be deadly for youngsters even when riders are required to wear helmets, researchers said. Nearly half the 70 children under 16 who were killed in ATV crashes that were reported in two states between 1997 and mid-2000 were caused by head injuries, and mortality rates were similar with or without a helmet being worn.

Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach had the lowest overall mortality rate and lowest fees of the 10 Orange County hospitals that performed open-heart surgery on Medicare patients over a four-year period, according to a report released Tuesday by a private consulting firm. Hoag's mortality rates and charges also were lower than state and national averages, according to Healthcare Data Source, which released the report. The Aurora, Colo.

The rotavirus vaccine introduced in Mexico in 2007 still appears to be preventing diarrhea-related deaths in children, despite speculation that years later the vaccine may not be as effective. In a letter released Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers report that the vaccine still seems to be successful in reducing mortality rates among children. They compared diarrhea-related deaths during the three years after the vaccine was introduced with death rates during rotavirus seasons from 2003 to 2006.

As a heat wave sweeps eastward through much of the United States, residents of the affected cities are bracing for the worst. A few words of advice: Protect your young, your elderly and your residents of bad shopping areas. It's true. People who live in areas without "inviting" businesses are more at risk of dying. A 2006 study published in the American Sociological Review looked at the 1995 heat wave in Chicago and found that mortality rates were higher in areas where businesses were not well tended and leaned toward the bar-and-liquor-store variety.

Hip fractures in the elderly can be the catalyst for a downward spiral, causing further health complications, a poorer quality of life and sometimes death. But a new study finds that having early surgery for hip fractures may reduce the risk of death. Researchers did a meta-analysis of 16 observational studies on early surgery outcomes for hip fractures that included mortality rates. The studies encompassed 13,478 people ages 60 and older. After analyzing the data, the study authors discovered that those who had surgery less than 24 to 72 hours after the injury or from the time patients were admitted to surgery had a 19% lower death risk.

Some U.S. patients -- or even fellow doctors -- might be less than comfortable with a foreign-born physician who didn't graduate from a U.S. medical school. They shouldn't be, a new study suggests.  Patients treated for congestive heart failure or heart attack had similar mortality rates regardless of whether they were cared for by graduates of U.S. medical schools or non-U.S. medical schools, concludes an analysis published today in the journal Health Affairs. Further, patients of non-U.

Underscoring historic recent gains in global health, the number of children younger than 5 who die this year will fall to 7.7 million, down from 11.9 million two decades ago, according to new estimates by population health experts. But as much of the world makes strides in reducing child mortality, the U.S. is increasingly lagging and ranks 42nd globally, behind much of Europe as well as the United Arab Emirates, Cuba and Chile. Twenty years ago, the U.S. ranked 29th in the child mortality rate, according to data analyzed by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington.

After a difficult pregnancy, weeks of bed rest and an emergency cesarean section, Liz Logelin got only a quick peek at her daughter before the newborn, healthy but premature, was whisked away to the neonatal unit. The next day, a nurse arrived with a wheelchair to take the first-time mother to see her baby. With husband Matt by her side, Logelin rose, took a few steps, said, "I feel light-headed," and died. She was 30. "She never got to hold her baby," said Matt Logelin, who lives in Los Angeles with the couple's daughter Madeline, now 2. "That is one of the hardest things for me."

As a heat wave sweeps eastward through much of the United States, residents of the affected cities are bracing for the worst. A few words of advice: Protect your young, your elderly and your residents of bad shopping areas. It's true. People who live in areas without "inviting" businesses are more at risk of dying. A 2006 study published in the American Sociological Review looked at the 1995 heat wave in Chicago and found that mortality rates were higher in areas where businesses were not well tended and leaned toward the bar-and-liquor-store variety.

Minority and low-income women in Los Angeles County are more likely to have limited access to healthcare and to struggle with chronic diseases, according to a new report by the county Department of Public Health. The report, "Health Indicators for Women in Los Angeles County," was released last week by the Office of Women's Health and the Office of Health Assessment & Epidemiology. Among the findings: African American women were far more likely to suffer from sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS, and to die from chronic illnesses.