Only 25 percent of middle-aged adults getting recommended screenings, data indicate.

Source: AMA Morning Rounds 11/20/09

HealthDay (11/19, Reinberg) reported, "Screening for cancer and other preventive health measures can prolong lives, but only 25 percent of adults aged 50 to 64 in the United States are getting these recommended screenings," according to a report "prepared by CDC, AARP, and the American Medical Association." The report focuses specifically on "influenza vaccine, cholesterol screening, colorectal cancer screening, and for women, breast and cervical cancer screening," noting that middle-aged adults "are at the greatest risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer."

But, "only five states...met the target of more than 90 percent of women having a cervical cancer screening within the previous three years," MedPage Today (11/19, Fiore) reported. The report also showed that "no state had an obesity rate of less than 15 percent." As a result, the report suggests "ways to strengthen ties between healthcare providers and community organizers," including strategies to increase "access to and use of preventive services in this age group."