Medical Update - November 9, 2004

Monday, November 8th 2004, 6:50 pm

By: News On 6

A slow starting flu season and the health dangers of obesity. News on 6 anchor LeAnne Taylor has those stories and details on a connection between cold weather and heart disease in this Medical Update.

When the temperature drops, it could have serious complications on your heart. Researchers have found a connection between a cold snap and air pollution that could impact your health.

Doctors released their findings at a recent American Heart Association meeting. The report shows that when the temperature drops below 7 degrees, 2 to 3 times as many people are taken to the hospital with heart failure.

Obese people should also be concerned about heart failure; a new study says very obese people are as unhealthy and probably as likely to die as patients with heart failure. Doctors say light exercise can go a long way in helping obese people get healthier.

And there's encouraging news from US health officials, they say the flu season is starting slowly. Of course, they also caution the situation could change quickly with a shortage of flu vaccine.

The flu kills more than 36,000 Americans each year and sends many others to the hospital.