WHO counted 4,379 H1N1 cases in 29 countries and 45 related deaths as of May 10, with Mexico hardest hit at 1,626 confirmed cases and the United States reporting 2,254. The CDC's own tally of 2,532 cases from 44 states likely undercounts, Anne Schuchat said.
Food Consumer
Miscellaneous
Stress from job loss increases health risks
A Robert Wood Johnson Foundation survey found people who lost jobs through no fault of their own were 54 percent more likely to report fair or poor health, and those with existing conditions 83 percent more likely to develop another. Researchers describe knock-on effects on children's schooling.
Others
KFC-Oprah promotion backfires
Ten million Oprah-backed coupons for free KFC chicken dinners were downloaded and four million redeemed, leaving some restaurants out of chicken and turning customers away. KFC plans to issue 6.5 million rain checks, each with a free cup of Pepsi.
Disease
Update: Swine flu cases on the rise
WHO counted 3,440 confirmed H1N1 cases across 29 countries, with Mexico at 1,364 cases and 45 deaths and the United States at 1,639 cases and two deaths in Texas; CDC later cited 2,254 US cases. WHO urges no travel restrictions but says ill travelers should delay trips.
Disease
Swine flu targets the young
The CDC reported 896 confirmed H1N1 cases across 41 states and two US deaths, with 58 percent of confirmed cases in people under 18. Acting director Richard Besser said the infection is less severe than first feared and cut recommended school closures from 14 days to seven.
Diet
Why we overeat
Former FDA commissioner David Kessler says the food industry builds foods layered with fat, sugar and salt that light up the brain's dopamine pathway and drive what he calls conditioned hyper-eating, in which people keep eating without hunger. His book is The End of Overeating.
Miscellaneous
Personality traits in childhood may determine health in adulthood
Harvard's Laura Kabansky followed 559 people enrolled in the National Collaborative Perinatal Project to age 30, testing whether emotional and behavioral traits in childhood shape adult health. She notes earlier work was cross-sectional and leaned on adults rating their own health.
Food
Soy: A common food with unclear benefits
Soy's standing as a superfood is under question. Its phytoestrogens can ease menopausal symptoms in women low in estrogen, one researcher says, while others suggest heavy consumption by a pregnant mother may affect male fetal development. The studies conflict.
Obesity
Obesity climb tied directly to excessive calorie Intake
Professor Boyd Swinburn told the European Congress on Obesity that rising U.S. obesity since the 1970s traces directly to eating more calories rather than exercising less. In his analysis of 1,399 adults and 963 children, exercise still blunted the gain by about two kilos.
Lifestyle
European study verifies cardio benefits of daily exercise in school children
After a year of daily school exercise in Leipzig, Germany, 188 students showed higher HDL cholesterol, lower systolic blood pressure and 29% greater endurance capacity, and the obesity rate fell from 13% to 9%. Researchers plan to follow the children for 10 to 20 years.
Disease
Heart attack or heartburn — symptoms Similar
Most heart attacks start slowly with mild chest discomfort that people mistake for heartburn, doctors say, and some heart patients get heartburn too. The American Heart Association lists arm, back, neck and jaw pain, cold sweat and nausea, and says not to wait more than five minutes to dial 911.
Food
Dried plums may cut appetite cravings
In a San Diego State trial, women who ate a 238-calorie serving of dried plums reported greater satiety before their next meal than women given low-fat cookies. A companion trial linked the plums to healthier lipid levels and bowel habits.
Minerals
Selenium strikes powerful blow to skin cancer
A study of 458 Australians in Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention linked higher blood selenium to fewer cases of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, a roughly 60 percent reduction, while finding no link between vitamin E levels and reduced carcinoma risk.
Miscellaneous
Internet blogs spawn KFC riot rumor, AP says rumors are false
The Associated Press reports that online claims of a riot at a Manhattan KFC over Oprah's free grilled chicken coupons are false. A KFC spokeswoman says some customers were upset when the restaurant ran out of chicken, but there was no riot or protest.
Disease
Job loss may lead to sickness
Kate Strully of Harvard analyzed more than 8,000 workers surveyed in 1999, 2001 and 2003 and found those who lost a job were 83 percent more likely to develop a new health condition, often arthritis, hypertension or cardiovascular problems, even while job-hunting.
Disease
Underlying diseases worsen swine flu prognosis
With more than 2,500 laboratory-confirmed H1N1 cases in 25 countries, reports indicate asthma, diabetes, heart disease and tuberculosis raise the risk of hospitalization or death. The CDC counted 1,639 US cases in 42 states; about 3.5 percent of cases required hospitalization.
Letter to Editor
Retraction paragraph from Martha
A correction letter from writer Martha Rosenberg saying Dr. Michelle O'Donovan was wrongly identified in an earlier article about Seroquel litigation, with an editor's note that the article has been removed.
Disease
Clue in autism study may help early diagnosis
Brain scans of 83 two-year-olds at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill found the 50 autistic children had an enlarged amygdala, a difference still present two years later. Lead researcher Joseph Piven hopes the finding allows earlier diagnosis and earlier intervention.
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