KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - The new Health of King County report shows that county residents are generally healthy and are living longer, though many communities are facing significant ongoing and emerging challenges.

“This report highlights why King County is such as excellent place to live, but it also brings to light serious gaps,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “We must continue to move our county toward being a national leader in health, including pandemic flu planning, chronic disease prevention, designing healthy communities, and reforming our health care system, but we must also make sure we leave no community behind.”

The Health of King County report can be viewed at: www.metrokc.gov/health/hokc. This report provides a comprehensive view of areas of improvement, challenges, disparities among groups, and activities that are making a difference. The last Health of King County report was issued in 1998.

“In many ways, King County is healthier. Residents can expect to live five years longer than they did twenty years ago, as well as longer than those in the rest of the state and the nation,” said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer for Public Health - Seattle & King County. “We are seeing lower mortality from heart disease, cancer, stroke and chronic lung disease.”

Other areas of improvement include:

	Childhood immunization rates		Motor vehicle injury deaths & hospitalizations
	Hepatitis A and B rates and immunization		Firearm deaths
	Mammogram screenings		Infant mortality rates
	Smoking		Asthma
	Seatbelt use		Outdoor air quality

“Real differences have been made for our community’s health through effective policies, education and targeted programs,” said Teeter.

Despite these and other improvements, chronic diseases, including cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic lung diseases such as asthma, and diabetes, are still the largest contributors to ill health in King County. In 2004, these conditions resulted in 21,000 hospitalizations, costing $531 million.

Cancer, heart disease and stroke represent the biggest burden in terms of deaths.

The chronic disease trend of most concern involves diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes among adults has doubled in the past decade. As more people develop diabetes, complication of the disease such as heart disease and kidney failure will become more common.

Additionally, some risk factors contributing to chronic diseases are getting worse:

	More people in King County are overweight and obese.
	More people do not sufficiently engage in physical activity.
	Hypertension is increasing.
	Access to health care is decreasing.

“Too many communities are suffering a disproportionate burden of disease. These are troubling and unacceptable trends,” said Teeter.

Key health disparities findings:

	There are health disparities for African Americans and American Indians/Alaska Natives, when compared to whites, across the spectrum of health indicators: mortality, birth outcomes, chronic diseases, smoking, overweight and physical inactivity, lack of health screenings, injuries, HIV, mental distress, alcohol use and drug-induced deaths, and access to medical care.
	Latinos also are disproportionately affected by higher rates of adolescent births, physical inactivity, mental distress, HIV, and access to care.
	The largest of all disparities occurs between the lowest and highest income groups.
	The region of the county experiencing the poorest health has expanded south. Areas such as south Seattle and south King County experience lower health status and more limited access to health care.
	Gay, lesbian, bisexual & transsexual (GLBT) communities are disproportionately affected by smoking and HIV/AIDS.

In the last five years in King County, there has been a significant increase in the number of people without health insurance, currently up to almost 16% of the adult population, or 190,000 adults. Problems with health care access lead to less preventive services, poorer health outcomes and more expensive management of diseases.

The Health of King County report was introduced this morning at the King County Board of Health meeting.

Public Health – Seattle & King County is among the largest metropolitan health departments in the country, providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services that achieve and sustain safer and healthier communities for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County . Answering the needs of an increasingly diverse population, Public Health - Seattle & King County touches people's lives every day through health promotion and prevention activities, disease surveillance, health care, outreach and referral services, environmental health services, emergency medical care, jail health services, and readiness and response to public health emergencies.

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