Poor blood-pressure control puts 5 million older Americans at risk

September 13, 2016

CDC (PRNewsFoto/Centers for Disease Control)

ATLANTA, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Some 5 million Medicare Part D enrollees age 65 and older are not taking their blood pressure medicine properly, increasing their risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and death, according to a new Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Medicare Part D is a federal program that helps Medicare beneficiaries with the costs of prescription drugs and prescription drug insurance premiums.

Seven out of 10 U.S. adults ages 65 and older have high blood pressure (140/90mmHg or higher), but nearly half do not have their blood pressure under control. The report outlines the dangers of high blood pressure and the important role health care systems play in helping patients take blood pressure medicines as directed.

“A simple action can avoid potentially deadly consequences: take your blood pressure medicine as prescribed,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Health care providers can make treatment easier to help people keep their blood pressure controlled.”

Disparities in taking blood pressure medicine as directed

The report analyzes data from more than 18.5 million people enrolled in Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage during 2014. CDC and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) researchers looked at disparities in beneficiary adherence rates based on factors including geography, race/ethnicity, gender, income status, and medication class.

Key findings in the Vital Signs report include:

About 5 million Medicare Part D enrollees ages 65 or older are not taking their blood pressure medicine as directed. This means they may skip doses or stop taking it altogether.
The percentage of Medicare Part D enrollees not taking their blood pressure medicine is higher among certain racial/ethnic groups (American Indian/Alaska Native, Black, Hispanic). This contributes to these groups’ higher risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and death.
There are also geographic differences. Southern U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have the highest overall rates of not taking blood-pressure medicines as directed. North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have the highest rates of people who do take their medicine as directed.

CDC Efforts to Reduce the Prevalence of Uncontrolled Hypertension

Health care systems—including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, community health workers, practices, hospitals, and insurers—can play a key role in improving blood pressure control nationwide. CDC encourages health care systems to ensure that people understand the importance of blood pressure control and how taking blood pressure medicine as directed along with a healthy diet and exercise lowers risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and stroke.

The federal government is also providing resources to all states and Washington, D.C., to prevent chronic disease, including heart disease and stroke; helping states track medication adherence; and encouraging prescription drug plans to improve medicine use through the Medicare Star Ratings program.

“While the Medicare prescription drug program has increased the affordability and accessibility of prescription drugs, more can be done to encourage Medicare beneficiaries to take their medications as directed,” said Sean Cavanaugh, CMS deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare. “Medicare will continue to work with prescription drug plans to educate enrollees about the importance of taking their blood pressure medications as prescribed so that they can lower their risk for heart disease and stroke.”

To learn more about heart disease and stroke, visit http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease and http://www.cdc.gov/stroke. For more information on high blood pressure, visit http://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure.

Visit millionhearts.hhs.gov to read about Million Hearts, a national initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. To learn how professionals and practices have controlled the blood pressure of at least 70 percent of their hypertensive patients, visit http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/partners-progress/champions/index.html.

About Vital Signs
Vital Signs is a report that appears as part of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Vital Signs provides the latest data and information on key health indicators: cancer prevention, obesity, tobacco use, motor vehicle passenger safety, prescription drug overdose, HIV/AIDS, alcohol use, health care-associated infections, cardiovascular health, teen pregnancy, food safety, and viral hepatitis.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

CDC works 24/7 saving lives and protecting people from health threats to have a more secure nation. Whether these threats are chronic or acute, manmade or natural, human error or deliberate attack, global or domestic, CDC is the U.S. health protection agency.

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Mary Kay Inc. Breaks Ground On New Global Manufacturing And Research And Development Facility

September 13, 2016

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Exactly 53 years to the day after Mary Kay Ash launched her dream company from a small Dallas storefront, Mary Kay Inc. is breaking ground on a new 480,000 square foot U.S.-based global manufacturing and research and development facility located on a 26.2 acre plot of land in Lewisville, Texas. David Holl, Mary Kay Inc. President and CEO announces the $125 million investment to support the company's future needs in producing skin care, color cosmetics and fragrances for more than 3.5 million Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants in more than 35 countries.

DALLAS, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Exactly 53 years to the day after Mary Kay Ash launched her dream company from a small Dallas storefront, Mary Kay Inc. is breaking ground on a new 480,000 square foot U.S.-based global manufacturing and research and development facility located on a 26.2 acre plot of land in Lewisville, Texas. As the global cosmetics company approaches the status of a top five beauty brand, the new $125 million building will support the company’s future needs in producing skin care, color cosmetics and fragrances for more than 3.5 million Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants in more than 35 countries.

Following an exhaustive search of potential locations throughout North Texas, Mary Kay identified the city of Lewisville in Denton County last November as the future site of its new state-of-the-art manufacturing and R&D facility. The new building will be located at the northeast corner of Denton Tap Road and Vista Ridge Mall Drive with a projected completion date of first quarter of 2018.

“Our company was founded in Dallas 53 years ago today and we are proud of our continued commitment to North Texas and products made in America,” said David Holl, President and Chief Executive Officer for Mary Kay Inc. “We are committed to the latest in technological innovation and Mary Kay’s new manufacturing and R&D operations will be on the leading edge of design and production. With the construction of this new facility, we will continue to produce best-in-the-industry products that our independent sales force members sell to Mary Kay brand lovers around the world.”

The criteria for selecting the new site included employee and logistical considerations, as well as proximity to the company’s other North Texas facilities, including its global headquarters in Addison, a distribution center in Carrollton and a warehouse facility in Dallas. Standing alongside Mary Kay’s executive leadership team during the ceremonial groundbreaking were representatives from Jacobs Engineering which will provide the building design, Beck Construction serving as the general contractor, members of the Denton County Commissioners Court, the City of Lewisville City Council and Lewisville Mayor Rudy Durham.

“The city of Lewisville is thrilled to welcome Mary Kay Inc. as it breaks ground on the company’s newest facility in the heart of North Texas,” said Lewisville Mayor Rudy Durham. “As a recreational and business hub of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Lewisville is a perfect fit with an iconic hometown brand such as Mary Kay. We look forward to partnering on this exciting and innovative vision for Mary Kay’s new U.S.-based global manufacturing and R&D facility.”

The beauty company’s current 420,000 square foot global manufacturing and R&D facility opened on Regal Row in Dallas in 1969. Today, the company employs more than 500 manufacturing and R&D employees and produces up to 1.1 million products per day, of which 57 percent are exported to Mary Kay’s international markets. Mary Kay Inc. invests millions of dollars in research and development and conducts more than 500,000 tests each year to ensure Mary Kay® products meet the highest standards of quality, safety and performance. For more information about the science behind Mary Kay® products, click here.

About Mary Kay
Irresistible products. Positive community impact. Rewarding opportunity. For more than 50 years, Mary Kay has offered it all. With 3.5 million Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultants and $4 billion in global annual sales, Mary Kay is a top beauty brand and direct seller in more than 35 markets around the world. Discover what there is to love about Mary Kay by connecting with a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant at marykay.com.

Mary Kay Inc. Corporate Communications
marykay.com/newsroom
972.687.5332 or [email protected]

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Statement of National Alliance for Hispanic Health on FDA Regulation of Menthol and Flavorings in Tobacco Products

September 13, 2016

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — “The White House can truly celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this week by directing the FDA to issue a proposed rule to remove all flavored tobacco products, including menthol products, from the marketplace and protect the health of families and children,” said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation’s leading Hispanic health advocacy group.

The Alliance’s statement supports efforts announced today by the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) to reverse action by the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) that eliminated menthol and flavors text from a proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) “deeming rule” before it was finalized implementing the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Act. The eliminated FDA text presented overwhelming evidence, supported by comments it received on the proposed rule, that menthol, candy, and fruit-flavored tobacco products attracted children and teens to tobacco use and deterred quitting.

“President Obama can save lives by directing FDA to use its power to order companies to reduce or eliminate harmful ingredients and additives, including prohibiting menthol and kid-friendly flavorings in cigars, electronic cigarettes and other nicotine vapor products. Flavoring ingredients and additives have been shown to attract children and teens to tobacco use and the impact has helped created a tobacco tipping point among Hispanic children and teens,” said Dr. Delgado.

While Hispanic adults are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to smoke, among middle school students Hispanics are now the group most likely to be current tobacco users (10.6%) compared to non-Hispanic white (6.3%) and non-Hispanic black (6.6%) students and more likely than their peers to be using two or more tobacco products. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data also show that e-cigarettes are now the most common tobacco products used among children and teens and use escalated from 1.5 to 16.0 percent between 2011 and 2015 among middle and high school students.

“Rather than waiting years for another FDA action, it is critical to protect the lives of children and teens at risk today from new tobacco products and flavorings designed to attract new smokers and foster a generation of illness and death,” concluded Dr. Delgado.

The Alliance announced that parents who want to learn more about how to protect their children from tobacco use can contact the Alliance’s bilingual Su Familia Helpline at 1-866-783-2645 for guidance. Health promotion advisors are also available at the toll-free Helpline to provide smokers with information on how to quit and locate smoking cessation support services in their community.

About the National Alliance for Hispanic Health (The Alliance)
The Alliance is the nation’s foremost science-based source of information and trusted advocate for the best health outcomes for all. For more information, visit http://www.hispanichealth.org or call the Alliance’s Su Familia National Hispanic Family Health Helpline at 1-866-783-2645.

Car Care Council Announces Partnership with Family Service Day

September 13, 2016

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BETHESDA, Maryland, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Car Care Council announced its partnership with Family Service Day^®, an award-winning organization with a mission to help independent automotive businesses do well by doing good. Family Service Day’s flagship initiative, Keeping Cars Kickin‘, is a program where repair shop owners and employees across the country provide necessary preventative maintenance and car-care education at no charge to local families who need help caring for their vehicles.

“We are thrilled to welcome Family Service Day as a partner in our efforts to strengthen the automotive industry and provide services designed to make vehicles last longer, perform better and keep drivers safer,” said Rich White, executive director, Car Care Council. “The Family Service Day program parallels the mission of our organization to promote the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair.”

Founded in 2009 by shop owner Charlie Marcotte, Family Service Day provides member shops with a step-by-step Blueprint^©, coaching and online resources that enables independent shops large and small to host successful local events, even with no prior marketing or event management experience.

“By utilizing our talents as automotive technicians to help local families that need a ‘hand up’, independent automotive repair shops make a direct impact on their communities and attract ongoing positive attention for their efforts,” said Marcotte.

Since 2009, Family Service Day has grown from a single-shop grass roots effort to a national cause marketing initiative available to automotive repair shops in all 50 states. Shops in 14 states held Family Service Day events on the company’s first national day of service on November 7, 2015. Families were pre-selected and referred by local and national non-profit partners. Local businesses pitched in by sponsoring the events and providing in-kind donations to make the day a fun-filled event for the children and their families.

In addition to individual shop events held throughout the year, preparations for the company’s next national day of service on Saturday October 15, 2016 are underway. Shops interested in becoming Family Service Day service providers CLICK HERE.

Businesses interested in becoming a Family Service Day partner or sponsor are invited to fill out the online Contact Us form.

About The Car Care Council
The Car Care Council is the source of information for the “Be Car Care Aware” consumer education campaign promoting the benefits of regular vehicle care, maintenance and repair to consumers. For the latest car care news, visit the council’s online media room at http://media.carcare.org. To order a free copy of the popular Car Care Guide, visit the council’s consumer education website at www.carcare.org.

About Family Service Day
Family Service Day is an award-winning organization with a mission to help businesses do well by doing good. We help local shop owners and their employees get involved in supporting their community by sharing their talents and services with families in need of a ‘hand up’. Our unique, step-by-step Keeping Cars Kickin’ Blueprint^© makes it easy for independent shops large and small to host successful local events, even with no prior marketing or event management experience. Through the company’s flagship initiative, Keeping Cars Kickin’^®, participating repair shops offer no-charge vehicle maintenance, service and car-care education to families that need help caring for their automobiles. What began as a community project in 2009 has grown to include national events with service providers in 50 states. familyserviceday.org

(Español) La FDA facilita la investigación de las etapas iniciales de la enfermedad de Alzheimer

September 13, 2016

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Humans of Havana Celebrates Cubans’ Real Lives, Adorned with Images and Mini-Narratives

September 13, 2016

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MIAMI, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — HumansOfHavana.com is a photo blog website that captures the real lives and feelings experienced by average Cubans found in the streets of Havana through candid portraits and mini-narratives.

Based on the work of Brandon Stanton’s hugely popular Humans of New York, Humans of Havana adds to the collection of various “humans of” sites sprouting up all over the world.

“Humans of Havana was the best way I could find to expose people outside Cuba to all the wonderful qualities of ordinary Cubans. Regardless of your beliefs and values, connecting to other people through candid images and short, honest dialogue is really one of the highest purposes of the Internet as a communication medium – a way to illustrate our shared humanity,” says Simons Chase, the human behind Humans of Havana and editor-in-chief and co-founder of the Cuba Journal.

Mr. Chase has been involved in developing a media company about Cuba for the last two years. Frustrated with an endless stream of images narrowly focused on Cuba’s antique cars and beaches, he decided to dedicate resources to his Humans of Havana project as a challenge inspired by the resilience and creativity he discovered in Cubans themselves.

“Considered separately, the stories tell individual experiences, but together, they form a broader narrative of the human experience and the ways in which Cubans’ lives are similar to our own despite differences in material possessions. Cuba is portrayed as many things in the media, but the truth is that Cuba is a country with eleven million people. It’s the people that count,” adds Mr. Chase.

The photographer behind Humans of Havana is a Havana-native with a background in art, film and photography. It took months of collaboration to develop the site and get the photographer comfortable with convincing strangers in the streets of Havana to share in an authentic way.

“The feedback about the site has been amazing. The kaleidoscope of changes ahead will no doubt find an expression on the Humans of Havana website – so I look forward to documenting this epic evolution directly through the people themselves,” says Mr. Chase.

Humans of Havana’s website: http://www.humansofhavana.com

(Español) BLACK+DECKER retira del mercado sopladoras/aspiradoras/trituradoras de hojas eléctricas debido a riesgo de laceraciones

September 13, 2016

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(Español) Ingresos, pobreza y cobertura de seguro médico en los Estados Unidos: 2015

September 13, 2016

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Harris County Toll Road Authority receives IBTTA 2016 Toll Excellence Award

September 13, 2016

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Mr. Gary Trietsch (right), Executive Director of Harris County Toll Road, received the IBTTA 2016 Toll Excellence Award. He is pictured here with David Machamer, Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, chair of IBTTA's Toll Excellence Award Program.

HOUSTON, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) accepted top honors in the technology category from the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association (IBTTA) during the 84^th Annual Meeting and Exhibition in Denver, CO.

HCTRA’s innovative Rapid Alert System (RAS) technology was developed to enhance toll enforcement efforts by identifying and alerting law enforcement to prohibited vehicles on Harris County’s toll road system.

The uniqueness of the RAS system is that it identifies prohibited vehicles on the road and generates a real-time electronic alert which includes an image of the vehicle, location, direction of travel and the amount of money owed in toll violations and fees. The alert is electronically routed to HCTRA’s custom developed computer-aided dispatch software called the Incident Management System (IMS). The IMS system also automatically sends the RAS alerts including a color violation image to the deputies’ laptop computers in their patrol vehicles based on the deputies’ proximity to the prohibited vehicle. They can also click on the image to enlarge the photo for better viewing.

Toll road deputies can now strategically position themselves and use the IMS system on their laptops to configure custom toll violation alerts based on tolling locations and direction of travel. This program is also augmented by ten (10) mobile license plate recognition (LPR) cameras mounted on patrol vehicles.

“This innovative program has been a great tool to our organization and enhances the high level of service we strive to provide all of our toll road drivers. I am proud of the team members who spearheaded this project,” said Gary Trietsch, Executive Director.

HCTRA has been at the forefront of innovative approaches in the tolling industry. In 2005 it garnered the IBTTA Operations award for building the nation’s first-of-its kind all electronic toll facility and in 2009 it garnered the IBTTA Operations award for its Wrong Way Detection System which continues to save lives.

For more information, please visit www.hctra.org.

About HCTRA

The Harris County Toll Road Authority was created in 1983 to construct, maintain, and operate toll roads in the rapidly growing Houston Metropolitan area. The Agency operates 127 miles including the Sam Houston Tollway, Tomball Tollway, Hardy Toll Road, Westpark Tollway, Katy Managed Lanes and the Ship Channel Bridge. HCTRA does not receive local, state or federal tax money, and is an Enterprise Fund of Harris County. The agency relies on revenue from users to fund operations, maintenance, debt service and future projects. Texas state law requires drivers to pay a toll at the time of the transaction or be responsible for the resulting violation, which may include fees and fines.

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6 Reasons Why K-12 Hispanic Students Should Discover Landscape Architecture

September 13, 2016

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American Society of Landscape Architects logo

WASHINGTON, Sept. 13, 2016 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Here are some top reasons why more Hispanic students should learn about landscape architecture and become landscape architects, according to the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA):

Landscape architecture is a rewarding career that combines art, science and the environment.
Landscape architects design all types of outdoor public and private spaces that help define a community, including parks, landmarks and residential landscapes. Landscape architects have a significant impact on communities and quality of life. To learn more, visit ASLA’s career discovery page.
Landscape architects are leading community change, so they need to represent the diverse groups who make up the U.S. population.
“Landscape architects’ work is integral to the health and well-being of our nation’s communities,” says ASLA President Chad D. Danos, FASLA. “That’s why it’s so important that they understand the people for whom they’re designing.”

The U.S. population will be much more racially and ethnically diverse by 2060, according to projections by the U.S. Census Bureau. The Hispanic population will more than double, from 53.3 million in 2012 to 128.8 million in 2060. Consequently, by the end of the period, nearly one in three U.S. residents will be Hispanic, up from about one in six today.
Landscape architects design outdoor spaces where people enjoy recreation, cultural events and family gatherings.
According to the Hispanic Access Foundation, Hispanics are passionate about their public parks and open spaces. Austin, Texas-based landscape architect Luis G. Hidalgo, ASLA, agrees. Hidalgo volunteered to participate in an annual diversity summit hosted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) to brainstorm ways to help K-12 minority students, including those of Hispanic origin, discover landscape architecture.

Says Hidalgo, “As a landscape architect, I have a great opportunity to bring my love of the outdoors and active living into my design projects. I’m proud to be part of a group of professionals that shape and transform the social, physical and community environment that affect our daily activities.”
Landscape architects from Hispanic backgrounds bring unique perspectives to the design table.
“Landscape architects have an amazing opportunity to help shape and transform the social, physical and community environments that affect our daily activities,” says Austin, Texas-based landscape designer Melissa Henao-Robledo, ASLA, who also participated in ASLA’s diversity summit. “Hispanic landscape architects offer a unique perspective because so few of us are sitting at the design table.”

Henao-Robledo also points out the tremendous diversity found within the Hispanic community therefore in order to prevent stereotypes a broad representation of Latinos within the industry would be ideal.
Landscape architects create iconic parks, streetscapes, and other public spaces that give cities an identity.
Famed Brazilian landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx—who in 1970 redesigned the renowned Avenida Atlantica along Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana Beach—was among the media stars of this year’s Summer Olympic Games. Millions of people around the world watching the closing ceremony saw dancers pay tribute to Marx, and such media outlets as the Los Angeles Times, New York Times and Wall Street Journal wrote about his legacy.
Landscape architects follow many paths before discovering the landscape architecture profession.
ASLA encourages teachers and families to explore its career discovery resources. Spanish-language materials include an introduction to the profession and Society on the ASLA website and fact sheet.

About ASLA
Founded in 1899, the American Society of Landscape Architects is the national professional association for landscape architects, representing more than 15,000 members in 49 professional chapters and 72 student chapters. Members of the Society use “ASLA” after their names to denote membership and their commitment to the highest ethical standards of the profession. Landscape architects lead the stewardship, planning and design of our built and natural environments; the Society’s mission is to advance landscape architecture through advocacy, communication, education and fellowship.

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