The Flu, Your Health and the Importance of Vaccination

November 1, 2007 | by

The flu season runs from November to April, with most cases occurring between late December and early March. About 10% to 20% of people get the flu every winter [1]. In children, the odds are even worse, with up to 40% of children becoming clinically ill due to the influenza virus.

The best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get a flu vaccination. Hospitalization and death from flu complications pose real risks. Every year, on average, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu complications and approximately 36,000 people die from the flu [2].

Additionally, immunizing children against influenza is perhaps the best method to reduce the occurrence of the flu in the community. If children receive the flu shot but the rest of the family abstains, the influenza attack rate drops by 40%; if parents also get the flu shot, the influenza attack rate drops by 80% [3].

Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting Launches Official Icons

October 29, 2007 | by

Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting (BPR3) announced today the launch of its’ official icons. BPR3 was created because several academic bloggers in different fields recognized the need to distinguish serious writing on peer-reviewed research from blog posts discussing more informal topics. According the the BRP3 website:

Bloggers for Peer-Reviewed Research Reporting strives to identify serious academic blog posts about peer-reviewed research by developing an icon and an aggregation site where others can look to find the best academic blogging on the Net.

Smoking Duration vs. Intensity and the Impact on Lung Cancer Risk

October 24, 2007 | by

We’ve discussed smoking and health a number of times recently:

One of our readers asked a question I’m sure many have us have wondered about at one time or another:
Smoking tightrope
Which is worse for the development of lung cancer — smoking heavily over a short period of time or smoking fewer cigarettes over many years?

Here’s what the research has to say:

Health Highlights – October 23rd, 2007

October 23, 2007 | by

Health Highlights is a biweekly summary of particularly interesting articles from credible sources of health and medical information that we follow & read. For a complete list of recommeded sources, see our links page.

Health Highlights

Individual Genetics, Coffee Consumption, BRCA1 and Breast Cancer

October 19, 2007 | by

We’ve talked previously about the health benefits of coffee and the antioxidant compounds responsible for it’s bitterness. To add to the “perks” of coffee consumption, a recent report in the Journal of Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention suggests that caffeine protects against breast cancer in women that have a BRCA1 gene mutation [1].