WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Advances in medical technology are transforming health care and improving life expectancy and quality of life, but equal access to technology continues to be a problem, according to Health, United States, 2009, the 33rd annual report on the nation's health status released Feb. 17 by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.
According to the authors, life expectancy has increased to an average of 77.9 years. In 2007, American men could expect to live 3.5 years longer -- and women 1.6 years longer -- than they did in 1990. The authors also report continuing declines in mortality from heart disease, stroke, and cancer, suggesting that significant factors include a tripling in the number of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography scans performed between 1996 and 2007, and a 10-fold increase in the number of people taking cholesterol-lowering drugs in 2003 to 2006 compared to 1988 to 1994.
However, the authors also cite troubling statistics showing that obesity rates have increased from 15 percent in 1976 to 35 percent in 2006, people are not exercising more, and that access to medical technology varies by gender, race, ethnicity and geography, resulting in significant disparities in HIV mortality, mammogram screenings, and other health measures.
"New technology -- and new uses for existing technology -- can improve the length and quality of life," the authors write. "However, questions remain about how much improvement is possible when resources are scarce and costs continue to increase. In addition, there is concern about whether target populations are being appropriately and equitably served."
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