Thyroid Researchers Say Take T4 Medication Before Bedtime!

“When Should I TakeThyroid Medication?

 

I get this question asked a lot because of the difficulty often-times of taking Synthroid, Levothyroxine or Armour first thing in the morning and then having to wait 45-90 minutes before consuming anything else, even other prescriptions or supplements.

Why do medical doctors, particularly our endocrinologists, recommend taking the medications in the morning?
The main reason appears to avoid trouble falling asleep; as for some people thyroid medication can cause trouble with sleep.

The problem with food and thyroid hormone replacement medication is that foods alter the way in which the drug is absorbed with some published studies showing about a 20% drop if Synthroid is taken with food, compared to an empty stomach.

Taking Thyroid Hormones At Bedtime…

The results of two studies that have been done concerning dosage timing have shown that taking the same dose levothyroxine at bedtime may actually be better than taking it first thing in the morning. 

A 12-person Dutch study reported in the January 2007 issue of "Clinical Endocrinology" found that levothyroxine was better absorbed when taken at night than during the day

A study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Arch Intern Med 2010;170:1996-2003 ) suggests taking levothyroxine or Synthroid on an empty stomach at bedtime, which  may be the key to lower TSH, higher T4 and T3 levels, and improved absorption of thyroid medication.

Why Would Taking Thyroid Medication Night Be Better?

The researchers suggested several explanations for the thyroid results:

• The morning dose is questionable for most of us. Why? “On an empty stomach” varies for each person. So, even when waiting at least 30 minutes to eat, breakfast and vitamins and other supplements or medications may be interfering with the intestinal absorption of the medication.

• “Bowel motility is slower at night,” which means that it takes longer for the levothyroxine tablet to transit through the intestinal system, resulting in longer exposure to the intestinal wall, and therefore, better uptake of the medication.

• The conversion process of T4 to T3 may be more effective in the evening.

Taking Medication At Bedtime Instead Of In The Morning Is Also Just Easier Sometimes

• It’s easier, as you don’t have to worry about when to eat breakfast, and then end up not having breakfast, which is adding fuel to the proverbial fire.

• Taking the medication at night makes it easier to avoid other medications, supplements and foods. Taking your thyroid medicine with coffee, minerals or fiber such as bran cereal or Citrucel can interfere with its absorption. (Thyroid, March, 2008).

• Plus, taking the medication at night might offer some improvement in symptoms to people who are just not getting optimal absorption by taking thyroid medication during the day.

Researchers Stated That Results Were “Striking”!

The studies were prompted by observation that some patients had improved thyroid hormone profiles after they switched from taking their levothyroxine from morning to bedtime.

Not only did they evaluate the impact of thyroid hormone levels by changing the time of medication, they also evaluated the impact this had on TSH and thyroid hormones and thyroidhormone metabolism.

The studies were fairly conclusive in their findings, which the researchers said were “striking” and which have“important consequences for the millions of patients who takelevothyroxine daily.”

Researchers reported that taking medication atbedtime, rather than the morning, results in “higher thyroidhormone concentrations and lower TSH concentrations.”

TSH decreased and Free T4 levels rose in all patients by changing T4 ingestion from early morning to bedtime and T3 levels rose in all but one subject and TSH decreased irrespective of the starting TSH levels, suggesting better absorption of the thyroidmedication when taken in the evening.

What I Am NOT Advocating…

To close please understand that I am not telling you that you should, in any way, alter your medication dosing as set by your treating physician. What I do recommend is that you bring these studies up with your doctor on your next visit with your doctor.

If you decide that you want to try taking your thyroidmedication in the evening, make sure to check your thyroidlevels via blood test within the following six to eight weeks so that your doctor may determine if there is any adjustment to the dosage of your medication.

***CAUTION***

The above research test were done using levothyroxine, which is purely T4 thyroid hormone (Synthroid and Tirosint are two examples) it was not done using hormone replacement drugs that contained T3, such as: NatureThroid, Armour Thyroid or Cytomel.

Because of this fact there is no way of knowing if your sleep would be altered on these types of hormone replacement medications.

Consult with your Primary Physician before altering any medication dosages.

Dr. Walter K. Crooks

Member Pastoral Medical Association

Chiropractic Clinical Neurologist

“When Should I TakeThyroid Medication?

 

I get this question asked a lot because of the difficulty often-times of taking Synthroid, Levothyroxine or Armour first thing in the morning and then having to wait 45-90 minutes before consuming anything else, even other prescriptions or supplements.

Why do medical doctors, particularly our endocrinologists, recommend taking the medications in the morning?
The main reason appears to avoid trouble falling asleep; as for some people thyroid medication can cause trouble with sleep.

The problem with food and thyroid hormone replacement medication is that foods alter the way in which the drug is absorbed with some published studies showing about a 20% drop if Synthroid is taken with food, compared to an empty stomach.

Taking Thyroid Hormones At Bedtime…

The results of two studies that have been done concerning dosage timing have shown that taking the same dose levothyroxine at bedtime may actually be better than taking it first thing in the morning. 

A 12-person Dutch study reported in the January 2007 issue of "Clinical Endocrinology" found that levothyroxine was better absorbed when taken at night than during the day

A study reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine (Arch Intern Med 2010;170:1996-2003 ) suggests taking levothyroxine or Synthroid on an empty stomach at bedtime, which  may be the key to lower TSH, higher T4 and T3 levels, and improved absorption of thyroid medication.

Why Would Taking Thyroid Medication Night Be Better?

The researchers suggested several explanations for the thyroid results:

• The morning dose is questionable for most of us. Why? “On an empty stomach” varies for each person. So, even when waiting at least 30 minutes to eat, breakfast and vitamins and other supplements or medications may be interfering with the intestinal absorption of the medication.

• “Bowel motility is slower at night,” which means that it takes longer for the levothyroxine tablet to transit through the intestinal system, resulting in longer exposure to the intestinal wall, and therefore, better uptake of the medication.

• The conversion process of T4 to T3 may be more effective in the evening.

Taking Medication At Bedtime Instead Of In The Morning Is Also Just Easier Sometimes

• It’s easier, as you don’t have to worry about when to eat breakfast, and then end up not having breakfast, which is adding fuel to the proverbial fire.

• Taking the medication at night makes it easier to avoid other medications, supplements and foods. Taking your thyroid medicine with coffee, minerals or fiber such as bran cereal or Citrucel can interfere with its absorption. (Thyroid, March, 2008).

• Plus, taking the medication at night might offer some improvement in symptoms to people who are just not getting optimal absorption by taking thyroid medication during the day.

Researchers Stated That Results Were “Striking”!

The studies were prompted by observation that some patients had improved thyroid hormone profiles after they switched from taking their levothyroxine from morning to bedtime.

Not only did they evaluate the impact of thyroid hormone levels by changing the time of medication, they also evaluated the impact this had on TSH and thyroid hormones and thyroidhormone metabolism.

The studies were fairly conclusive in their findings, which the researchers said were “striking” and which have“important consequences for the millions of patients who takelevothyroxine daily.”

Researchers reported that taking medication atbedtime, rather than the morning, results in “higher thyroidhormone concentrations and lower TSH concentrations.”

TSH decreased and Free T4 levels rose in all patients by changing T4 ingestion from early morning to bedtime and T3 levels rose in all but one subject and TSH decreased irrespective of the starting TSH levels, suggesting better absorption of the thyroidmedication when taken in the evening.

What I Am NOT Advocating…

To close please understand that I am not telling you that you should, in any way, alter your medication dosing as set by your treating physician. What I do recommend is that you bring these studies up with your doctor on your next visit with your doctor.

If you decide that you want to try taking your thyroidmedication in the evening, make sure to check your thyroidlevels via blood test within the following six to eight weeks so that your doctor may determine if there is any adjustment to the dosage of your medication.

***CAUTION***

The above research test were done using levothyroxine, which is purely T4 thyroid hormone (Synthroid and Tirosint are two examples) it was not done using hormone replacement drugs that contained T3, such as: NatureThroid, Armour Thyroid or Cytomel.

Because of this fact there is no way of knowing if your sleep would be altered on these types of hormone replacement medications.

Consult with your Primary Physician before altering any medication dosages.

Dr. Walter K. Crooks

Member Pastoral Medical Association

Chiropractic Clinical Neurologist

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Kentucky parents' overall perception of Kentucky children's health doesn't match the statistics, foundation survey finds

Many Kentucky parents' perception of their children's health doesn't match statistics, suggesting that many health problems are going undetected or untreated.

That is the upshot of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's first Kentucky Parent Survey, conducted by the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research this summer and released today.

Only 4 percent of Kentucky parents said a health professional had told them their child was obese, but the National Survey of Children's Health in 2007 found that almost 37 percent of Kentucky children were obese.

Just 5 percent of Kentucky parents said they had been told that their child had depression or anxiety, but about 25 percent of children 13 to 18 will have struggled with anxiety and 11 percent will have battled depression, according to a 2010 national study. And a recent study found that Kentucky teens were more likely than the national average to have attempted suicide.

About 17 percent of Kentucky parents reported that their child had decayed teeth or cavities, but a national survey of third graders in 2001-02 revealed that 35 percent had untreated dental issues.

Only 3 percent of parents said their child was diagnosed with a hearing problem, but 15 percent of children nationally have measurable hearing loss. And 14 percent reported being told their child had a vision problem, but about one in four preschoolers nationally have vision issues.

Parents also seem not to get enough advice from health care providers about how to treat their children's health issues, even though there are high rates of children suffering from tooth decay, vision problems, asthma, ADHD, depression/anxiety, obesity, hearing impairment and diabetes, the survey found.

While 92 percent of parents said their child had a regular doctor, just 80 percent said their child had a regular dental care provider. And a 74 percent majority of parents surveyed said they were always encouraged by their child's healthcare provider to ask questions during visits. "The exceptions are worth noting," said Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. "If three in four parents said their child's provider always encouraged questions, this means that one in four were not always encouraged to ask questions." (Read more)

Many Kentucky parents' perception of their children's health doesn't match statistics, suggesting that many health problems are going undetected or untreated.

That is the upshot of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky's first Kentucky Parent Survey, conducted by the University of Virginia's Center for Survey Research this summer and released today.

Only 4 percent of Kentucky parents said a health professional had told them their child was obese, but the National Survey of Children's Health in 2007 found that almost 37 percent of Kentucky children were obese.

Just 5 percent of Kentucky parents said they had been told that their child had depression or anxiety, but about 25 percent of children 13 to 18 will have struggled with anxiety and 11 percent will have battled depression, according to a 2010 national study. And a recent study found that Kentucky teens were more likely than the national average to have attempted suicide.

About 17 percent of Kentucky parents reported that their child had decayed teeth or cavities, but a national survey of third graders in 2001-02 revealed that 35 percent had untreated dental issues.

Only 3 percent of parents said their child was diagnosed with a hearing problem, but 15 percent of children nationally have measurable hearing loss. And 14 percent reported being told their child had a vision problem, but about one in four preschoolers nationally have vision issues.

Parents also seem not to get enough advice from health care providers about how to treat their children's health issues, even though there are high rates of children suffering from tooth decay, vision problems, asthma, ADHD, depression/anxiety, obesity, hearing impairment and diabetes, the survey found.

While 92 percent of parents said their child had a regular doctor, just 80 percent said their child had a regular dental care provider. And a 74 percent majority of parents surveyed said they were always encouraged by their child's healthcare provider to ask questions during visits. "The exceptions are worth noting," said Susan Zepeda, president and CEO of the foundation. "If three in four parents said their child's provider always encouraged questions, this means that one in four were not always encouraged to ask questions." (Read more)

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Lame-duck Congress could cut funding for critical access hospitals; more than two dozen in Kentucky

Critical access hospitals, which in most states are rural facilities with fewer than 25 beds, may be under attack in the lame-duck session of Congress, former national rural-health director Wayne Myers writes for the Daily Yonder. President Obama's "budget proposes to revoke CAH status and special payments for any such hospital within 10 miles of another hospital, and to cut the extra 1 percent payment for all of the critical access hospitals," Myers writes. (Census Bureau map of CAH locations)

This would "have enormous consequences," Myers writes. "Of the hospitals that lose CAH designation probably most will close or merge with another hospital. I've seen no estimates of numbers. There are more than a few congressional budget hawks in both parties who would like to eliminate the special payments to Critical Access Hospitals entirely. If these small hospitals dodge the bullet during the lame duck session, they'll continue to be targets in the next Congress. If they are successful in reducing payments to CAHs, the net effect will be to move health care capacity and jobs from smaller to larger towns."

The issue is complex. Rural areas have less political clout than ever, because of declining population, and many rural people use urban hospitals over CAHs, even for ordinary care. "Those who do use CAHs say their experience there is just as good as that in urban hospitals, even if the quality of care isn't as good as in larger facilities," Myers writes. "Elderly patients stay at CAHs because they know the nurses and doctors and their families live close by."

Issues for CAHs arise out of how Medicare payments are made to them, Myers writes. "A long list of arcane, special funding arrangements has accumulated to try to fit small rural hospitals into a Medicare payment system designed for large city hospitals." The largest program is the "Disproportionate Share Program," or DISH, which gives $15 billion a year to states to hand out to CAHs. The program is being phased out between 2014 and 2020, along with several other programs, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (Read more)

Critical access hospitals, which in most states are rural facilities with fewer than 25 beds, may be under attack in the lame-duck session of Congress, former national rural-health director Wayne Myers writes for the Daily Yonder. President Obama's "budget proposes to revoke CAH status and special payments for any such hospital within 10 miles of another hospital, and to cut the extra 1 percent payment for all of the critical access hospitals," Myers writes. (Census Bureau map of CAH locations)

This would "have enormous consequences," Myers writes. "Of the hospitals that lose CAH designation probably most will close or merge with another hospital. I've seen no estimates of numbers. There are more than a few congressional budget hawks in both parties who would like to eliminate the special payments to Critical Access Hospitals entirely. If these small hospitals dodge the bullet during the lame duck session, they'll continue to be targets in the next Congress. If they are successful in reducing payments to CAHs, the net effect will be to move health care capacity and jobs from smaller to larger towns."

The issue is complex. Rural areas have less political clout than ever, because of declining population, and many rural people use urban hospitals over CAHs, even for ordinary care. "Those who do use CAHs say their experience there is just as good as that in urban hospitals, even if the quality of care isn't as good as in larger facilities," Myers writes. "Elderly patients stay at CAHs because they know the nurses and doctors and their families live close by."

Issues for CAHs arise out of how Medicare payments are made to them, Myers writes. "A long list of arcane, special funding arrangements has accumulated to try to fit small rural hospitals into a Medicare payment system designed for large city hospitals." The largest program is the "Disproportionate Share Program," or DISH, which gives $15 billion a year to states to hand out to CAHs. The program is being phased out between 2014 and 2020, along with several other programs, as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. (Read more)

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Canadian study suggests children in day care are more likely to be obese than those cared for by their parents

Children who attend day care regularly are 50 percent more likely to be overweight than those who stay home with parents, according to a new University of Montreal study in Quebec. Lead researcher Marie-Claude Geoffroy said the disparity "cannot be explained by known risk factors such as socioeconomic status of the parents, breastfeeding, body mass index of the mother, or employment status of the mother."

Researchers studied more than 1,600 families with children born in 1997 and 1998 in Quebec, a sample that was representative of the majority of kids in the province. Mothers were interviewed about their children's care at ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4. Children were put into groups based on the type of care they received most. Researchers concluded that 65 percent of children spent most of their time in day care. Just 19 percent were cared for mostly by a parent.

Researchers found no clear explanation for the weight disparities, but they argued that day care has the potential to reduce weight problems in children through promotion of physical activity and healthy eating. (Read more)

Children who attend day care regularly are 50 percent more likely to be overweight than those who stay home with parents, according to a new University of Montreal study in Quebec. Lead researcher Marie-Claude Geoffroy said the disparity "cannot be explained by known risk factors such as socioeconomic status of the parents, breastfeeding, body mass index of the mother, or employment status of the mother."

Researchers studied more than 1,600 families with children born in 1997 and 1998 in Quebec, a sample that was representative of the majority of kids in the province. Mothers were interviewed about their children's care at ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 and 4. Children were put into groups based on the type of care they received most. Researchers concluded that 65 percent of children spent most of their time in day care. Just 19 percent were cared for mostly by a parent.

Researchers found no clear explanation for the weight disparities, but they argued that day care has the potential to reduce weight problems in children through promotion of physical activity and healthy eating. (Read more)

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Efficacy of intranasal vaccination in cats

Bradley A, Kinyon J, Frana T, Bolte D, Hyatt DR and Lappin MR. Efficacy of intranasal administration of a modified live feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus vaccine against disease caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica after experimental challenge. J Vet Intern Med. 2012; 26: 1121-5.

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are common problems affecting cats in shelters, boarding facilities, breeding catteries, and pet homes. The most common causes of URTI include feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV), feline calicivirus (FCV), Bordetella bronchiseptica, Chlamydophila felis, Mycoplasma spp, and some bacteria. However, vaccines are only available for FHV, FCV, B. bronchiseptica, and C. felis. No single product is available to provide protection against all 4 agents in one vaccine.
 
Most feline vaccines are formulated for parenteral use, but there are 2 products on the market in the United States designed for intranasal administration. Intranasal administration of vaccines stimulates a nonspecific immune response in addition to the specific immune response against the agent in the vaccine. These investigators examined the effect of intranasal vaccination against FHV and FCV on disease caused by B. bronchiseptica. Two groups of 10 cats each were either inoculated intranasally with the vaccine or left unvaccinated. They were then exposed to B. bronchiseptica seven days later. Vaccinated cats were found to be less likely to be clinically ill than unvaccinated cats. Thus, intranasal vaccination with FHV and FCV decreased disease caused by a different pathogen due to its stimulation of nonspecific immunity. [MK]

See also: Egberink H, Addie D, Belak S, et al. Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in cats ABCD guidelines on prevention and management. J Feline Med Surg. 2009; 11: 610-4.
Free, full text article updated 2012

Related blog articles:
Treatment of feline upper respiratory tract disease (August 2012)
Upper respiratory tract disease in shelters (November 2009)
Understanding chronic respiratory disease in cats (August 2009)

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

Bradley A, Kinyon J, Frana T, Bolte D, Hyatt DR and Lappin MR. Efficacy of intranasal administration of a modified live feline herpesvirus 1 and feline calicivirus vaccine against disease caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica after experimental challenge. J Vet Intern Med. 2012; 26: 1121-5.

Upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) are common problems affecting cats in shelters, boarding facilities, breeding catteries, and pet homes. The most common causes of URTI include feline herpesvirus 1 (FHV), feline calicivirus (FCV), Bordetella bronchiseptica, Chlamydophila felis, Mycoplasma spp, and some bacteria. However, vaccines are only available for FHV, FCV, B. bronchiseptica, and C. felis. No single product is available to provide protection against all 4 agents in one vaccine.
 
Most feline vaccines are formulated for parenteral use, but there are 2 products on the market in the United States designed for intranasal administration. Intranasal administration of vaccines stimulates a nonspecific immune response in addition to the specific immune response against the agent in the vaccine. These investigators examined the effect of intranasal vaccination against FHV and FCV on disease caused by B. bronchiseptica. Two groups of 10 cats each were either inoculated intranasally with the vaccine or left unvaccinated. They were then exposed to B. bronchiseptica seven days later. Vaccinated cats were found to be less likely to be clinically ill than unvaccinated cats. Thus, intranasal vaccination with FHV and FCV decreased disease caused by a different pathogen due to its stimulation of nonspecific immunity. [MK]

See also: Egberink H, Addie D, Belak S, et al. Bordetella bronchiseptica infection in cats ABCD guidelines on prevention and management. J Feline Med Surg. 2009; 11: 610-4.
Free, full text article updated 2012

Related blog articles:
Treatment of feline upper respiratory tract disease (August 2012)
Upper respiratory tract disease in shelters (November 2009)
Understanding chronic respiratory disease in cats (August 2009)

More on cat health:
Winn Feline Foundation Library
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Join us on Google+

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Share of Kentuckians reporting they had been diagnosed as diabetic nearly tripled from 1995 to 2010

We're not just getting fatter, Kentucky, we're becoming chronically ill because of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of diagnosed diabetes in Kentucky has increased dramatically in the last decade and a half.

In Kentucky, 9.3 percent of adults reported having been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2010, up from just 3.6 percent in 1995, according to response to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing national telephone survey. (Data from 2011 were not compared because the survey methodology changed.)

The figure is undoubtedly less than the actual percentage of Kentuckians with diabetes; nationally, 18 million people say they have been told they have the disorder, and another 7 million are estimated to have it but not be diagnosed. In 1958, the national rate of diagnosed diabetes was 1 percent; now it's 8.2 percent. Not surprisingly, Mississippi, the state with the largest proportion of residents who are obese, has the highest diabetes rate, at nearly 12 percent.

The biggest jump in diagnosed diabetes from 1995 to 2010 was in Oklahoma, where it more than tripled. The South, as a region, had the most frightening numbers, almost one in 10 adults. That was more than double the rate in 1995. Several Northern states saw rates more than double, too, including Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Maine.

"The rise in diabetes has really gone hand in hand with the rise in obesity," CDC report lead author Linda Geiss told The Associated Press. Diabetes is a disease in which the body has trouble processing sugar. Even with medications to help control it, it can cause damage to the kidneys, circulation and nervous system. It is the nation's seventh leading cause of death. (Read more) To read the CDC report, go here. 

We're not just getting fatter, Kentucky, we're becoming chronically ill because of it. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of diagnosed diabetes in Kentucky has increased dramatically in the last decade and a half.

In Kentucky, 9.3 percent of adults reported having been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2010, up from just 3.6 percent in 1995, according to response to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, an ongoing national telephone survey. (Data from 2011 were not compared because the survey methodology changed.)

The figure is undoubtedly less than the actual percentage of Kentuckians with diabetes; nationally, 18 million people say they have been told they have the disorder, and another 7 million are estimated to have it but not be diagnosed. In 1958, the national rate of diagnosed diabetes was 1 percent; now it's 8.2 percent. Not surprisingly, Mississippi, the state with the largest proportion of residents who are obese, has the highest diabetes rate, at nearly 12 percent.

The biggest jump in diagnosed diabetes from 1995 to 2010 was in Oklahoma, where it more than tripled. The South, as a region, had the most frightening numbers, almost one in 10 adults. That was more than double the rate in 1995. Several Northern states saw rates more than double, too, including Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Maine.

"The rise in diabetes has really gone hand in hand with the rise in obesity," CDC report lead author Linda Geiss told The Associated Press. Diabetes is a disease in which the body has trouble processing sugar. Even with medications to help control it, it can cause damage to the kidneys, circulation and nervous system. It is the nation's seventh leading cause of death. (Read more) To read the CDC report, go here. 

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Teen smoking in Kentucky declined more than it did in nation from 2002 to 2010, but state remained in top 10

Like most states, Kentucky showed a drop in reported cigarette smoking among 12- to 17-year-olds from 2002 to 2010, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Nationwide, teenagers' reported "current use" of cigarettes dropped from 12.6 percent to 8.7 percent. In Kentucky, that decline was even more significant, plummeting from 17.6 percent in 2002 to 11 percent in 2010. The 2002 rate was third in the nation; the latest one is sixth. The surveys defined "current use" as smoking in the past month. (Click on map for larger version)

Strangely, the data showed that during the same period, teens' perception of risk from cigarette smoking remained unchanged in Kentucky and most other states. Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States. (Read more) To read the full report, go here.

Like most states, Kentucky showed a drop in reported cigarette smoking among 12- to 17-year-olds from 2002 to 2010, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Nationwide, teenagers' reported "current use" of cigarettes dropped from 12.6 percent to 8.7 percent. In Kentucky, that decline was even more significant, plummeting from 17.6 percent in 2002 to 11 percent in 2010. The 2002 rate was third in the nation; the latest one is sixth. The surveys defined "current use" as smoking in the past month. (Click on map for larger version)

Strangely, the data showed that during the same period, teens' perception of risk from cigarette smoking remained unchanged in Kentucky and most other states. Tobacco use is the leading cause of premature and preventable death in the United States. (Read more) To read the full report, go here.

Read More