A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds that members of the LGBT community are more likely to smoke, drink excessively and experience serious psychological distress than their heterosexual counterparts.

But the same report also found that, when looking at other areas of health, those with "alternative lifestyles" fare better than straight individuals, according to the new report published by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The effects of ethnicity, race, sex and income, and their link to health has been well-documented, however there's little known about sexual orientation and its connection to health concerns. The subject has been pursued in the past, but resistance to documenting health concerns regarding sexual orientation hinged on a belief that people wouldn't accurately report on their sexual orientations.

The comparative report is the first to take a look at health disparities among the lesbian, bisexual and gay populations on a national level. The National Health Interview Survey, administered by the CDC, was tweaked by researchers who added an option for participants to indicate their sexual orientation.

Conducted in 2013, nearly 35,000 adults disclosed their sexual orientation. Approximately 96.6 percent identified themselves as straight, while 1.6 percent offered that they were gay or lesbian, while 0.7 percent divulged that they were bisexual. Just 1.1 percent didn't select a response.

Findings revealed that a higher percentage of gay or lesbian (35.1 percent) and bisexual people (41.5 percent) stated that they consumed at least five or more drinks in one day at least once in the past year, compared to those who identified themselves as heterosexual (26 percent). Also, a higher percentage of gay, lesbian and bisexual people reported that they were smokers. Additionally, a higher percentage of bisexuals (11 percent) claimed to have experienced serious psychological distress within 30 days of the survey, compared to straight participants (3.9 percent).

The number of participants who identified as gay or lesbian or bisexual was relatively small in the large and nationally representative surveyed group; for that reason, CDC researchers cautioned that some estimates may not be reliable. Nonetheless, percentages on sexual oriental can be vital information when looking at some areas of health where sexual minorities are at higher risks, where race and economic status also play role. Researchers have identified differences in sexual minorities and straight people when it comes to the access and use of health care. However, it is difficult to pinpoint what's driving health behaviors, such as smoking and alcohol intake, as well as psychological status among homosexual, though health care barriers and social stressors are likely to be underlying factors.

"There's certainly a lot of social stress for people who are living in places where they are being treated unequally based on their sexual orientation," said Kari Greene, a researcher with Oregon Health Authority. "We also definitely have unequal access to health care benefits, for people who are living in places where health care benefits are not translated to same-sex spouses."

When comparing Hispanic lesbians and bisexual women to heterosexual Hispanic women, lesbian and bisexual women showed elevated risks for disparities in smoking, asthma and disability. They also showed higher odds of asthma, acute drinking, poor general health, and frequent mental distress. Hispanic lesbians are also more likely to report asthma than non-Hispanic white lesbians.

Efforts must be made to address the unique health concerns of diverse lesbians and bisexual women, and more research should go to examining sexual orientation and health disparities.

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