Disease Proof

According to new research stroke risk in the United States is higher than that of Europe. Julie Steenhuysen of Reuters reports:

U.S. women are twice as likely to have a stroke as European women, and American men have a 61 percent higher chance compared with European men.


"What we find is, especially in the very poor, Americans have a much higher prevalence of stroke than Europeans," said Mauricio Avendano of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, who presented his findings at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference in New Orleans.

He said Americans have more preventable risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.

And, it seems Americans are having a really bad flu season this year. This time Maggie Fox of Reuters reports:

Influenza is widespread in 49 states, and this year's epidemic has killed at least 22 children, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday.


On Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration agreed to completely change next year's flu vaccine mix because all three strains included in the flu shot cocktail have mutated. But companies have a head start on working with two of the three, the CDC's Dr. Nancy Cox said.

FDA advisers agreed with the World Health Organization recommendations made last week on changing the vaccine to match the drifting flu viruses.

These would probably be non-stories if we all ate and lived healthier—I know, I’m quite the daydreamer.