TUESDAY, Aug. 26 (HealthDay News) -- The number of Americans without health insurance dropped by more than 1 million people in 2007, the first annual decline in seven years, U.S. Census Bureau officials announced Tuesday.

The drop was driven largely by an increase in the number of children getting health insurance through government-funded programs.

"Both the percentage and number of people without health insurance decreased in 2007," David Johnson, chief of the Census Bureau's Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, said during a morning teleconference.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer, you may want to check your surroundings, because apparently where you live has an effect on your chances of survival.

It's fairly well known that poorer people and minorities have a lower survival rate of diseases like cancer due to lack of health care and at times, a lack of awareness of a good health care regime. A late diagnosis is especially to blame. I think we all know someone who is hesitant to see a doctor due to costs and waits until his or her symptoms are serious before getting care.

By Shannon Koehle
EmpowHer's Health Reporter

Not long ago, health insurance woes were linked to Americans living in poverty.

However, a recent analysis by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation focused on promoting high performance healthcare, indicated insurance enigmas have spread to the middle class.

As the number of underinsured middle class Americans tripled since 2003, adults lacking medical insurance or were underinsured rose to 75 million.

Apparently it can. Pollution, smoking, poverty and pollen counts all matter when it comes to asthma.

This is why, no matter how we feel about global warming, a healthy planet earth is vital to our own human health. We should all consider ourselves automatic environmentalists.

Here is the list of the worst cities in the country for asthma and some of the reasons why.

http://www.webmd.com/asthma/slideshow-10...

Did your city make the list? What are you doing to make your city or town a healthier place to live?