More than 100,000 lives could be saved in the U.S. each year if preventive measures were increased, according to a study by the Partnership for Prevention.

The study was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the WellPoint Foundation. The report states that an increase in preventive services would save thousands of lives.

Preventive Measures

• If the percentage of adults taking aspirin daily to prevent heart disease were to increase to 90 percent, about 45,000 lives would be saved each year. Currently, fewer than 50 percent of eligible adults take aspirin daily.
• If the percentage of smokers who are advised by a healthcare professional to quit and then offered assistance were to increase from the current 28 percent to 90 percent, an estimated 42,000 lives would be saved each year.
• If 90 percent of adults age 50 and older kept up to date with recommended colorectal cancer screening, about 14,000 lives would be saved each year. Currently only 50 percent adults are screened for colorectal cancer.
• If the percentage of adults who receive influenza vaccination increased from 37 percent to 90 percent it would save 12,000 additional lives each year.
• If the percentage of women screened for breast cancer in the preceding two years increased from 67 percent to 90 percent it would save 4,000 lives each year.
• About 30,000 cases of pelvic inflammatory disease could be avoided each year if the percentage of sexually active women who are screened for chlamydia infection rose from 40 percent to 90 percent.

The report also showed racial disparities in use of preventive care. Hispanics are 55 percent less likely to receive smoking cessation assistance than whites and Asians are 40 percent less likely to use aspirin to prevent heart disease than whites. Also, African Americans have higher cancer screening rates for breast and colorectal cancer than Hispanics and Asians, but increased screening in African Americans could lead to more lives saved because they have higher mortality due to these malignancies.

"This report illustrates that the health benefits would be great if more people took preventive actions," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, CDC director. "More illnesses would be avoided, fewer lives would be loss, and there would be more efficient use of our limited healthcare resources."

For more information on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, visit www.cdc.gov.