Lab Report: Health, Science and Medicine

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When flu season hits in a few months, doctors may be paying more attention to coughs and sniffles than to fevers. A study of H1N1 cases from 2009 found that nearly half of those infected did not develop a fever, the classic symptom of flu. To lower the risk of transmission, health officials recommend that people 6 months and older get immunized with the H1N1 vaccine.

STEP FOR STEM CELLS

The first human trial of an embryonic-stem-cell-based therapy is back on track after a yearlong hold imposed by the Food and Drug Administration. The agency halted the study of a treatment for spinal-cord injury after some animals receiving the stem cells developed cysts. The company conducting the trial provided additional safety data and new tests for detecting the unusual growths.

DATA SET

23%

Percentage increase in HDL, or good cholesterol, in people on a low-carb diet, compared with 12% in low-fat eaters

Number of U.S. states with an obesity rate of 30% or higher, up from three states in 2007. More than 1 in 4 Americans is obese

Sources: Annals of Internal Medicine, Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, CDC, Circulation, Geron, Science Translational Medicine, the Lancet