Health

Vital Signs: Swine Flu in 5 States; Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels

By Nicholas Jackson
Saved Stories

The latest facts and figures from the all of the most influential medical journals; newspapers; and health, fitness, and wellness websites.

  • 50 -- The estimated number of patients at government hospitals across the Indian state of Rajasthan who died during a strike of more than 20,000 contract employees of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), which ended on Tuesday. Source: "Rajasthan Doctors' Strike Claims 50 Lives," NDTV.
  • 80 -- The percentage of weight gained back by older women that is made up of fat following a diet, according to a new study, which looked at women around the age of 58 who had lost about 25 pounds dieting one year earlier. Source: "Most Weight Regained by Older Women Is Fat, Study Finds," HealthDay.
  • 70 -- The percent lifetime risk of suffering from a stroke or developing cardiovascular disease for men who have hypertension by middle age, according to a new study of more than 61,000 subjects. Source: "Risks: Blood Pressure Tests May Not Be Enough," the New York Times.
  • 25 -- The percent that malaria deaths have fallen over the past decade, according to the World Health Organization, which has been coordinating an attack on the disease for years with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the President's Malaria Initiative. Source: "Malaria: World Health Organization Says Deaths Have Dropped 25 Percent in Last Decade," the New York Times.
  • 10 -- The number of times that a new type of painkiller currently approaching the final stages of development -- Zohydro -- is stronger than Vicodin, worrying addiction experts who fear abuse. Source: "Painkiller 10 Times Stronger Than Vicodin Worries Addiction Experts," CBS News.
  • 5,000 -- The approximate number of runners expected to participate in the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run, a health-conscious celebration that people will participate in across the United States to welcome the new year. Source: "Resolve to Hit the Ground Running This New Year's Eve," USA Today.
  • 145,000,000 -- The number of mosquito nets that were delivered to various countries in Africa in 2010, according to the World Health Organization, which credits the nets with helping to fight malaria. Source: "Malaria: World Health Organization Says Deaths Have Dropped 25 Percent in Last Decade," the New York Times.
  • 24 -- The number of states in the U.S. that are backing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on a push to place new graphic warning labels on cigarette packages in 2012. Source: "24 States Back FDA on Tobacco Warning Label Lawsuit," CBS News.
  • 12 -- The number of people who have become infected -- in five states: Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Maine, and West Virginia -- with swine flu since August, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Source: "Swine Flu Found in Five States: How to Stay Safe," CBS News.