Coffee, alcohol, smoking, weather, seasonal allergies, vitamin D, pregnancy, breast-feeding, hormones/contraceptives, and cold/flu link to rheumatoid arthritis.

Alcohol, coffee, and smoking linked to increased high blood pressure (HBP), which linked to heart disease, stroke, and a shorter life expectancy. HBP symptoms that may occur include headache, fatigue, irregular heartbeat, nosebleed, confusion, ear noise or buzzing, and vision changes. However, most of the time, there are no symptoms.

Atorvastatin (Brand name: Lipitor) linked to increased risks of type 2 diabetes.

Over 65% of patients who experience a myocardial infarction (heart attack) during or shortly after noncardiac surgery do not have ischemic symptoms.

Night sweats is often associated with eye diseases, respiratory disorders, hyperactivity, anxiety, atopic dermatitis, medications, menopause, cancers and infections.

One thrid of Americans are not getting enough vitamin D, which is a fat-soluble vitamin that helps the body absorb calcium.

Heart risk link to big families.

About 1.3 million Americans are affected by rheumatoid arthritis.

Calcium supplements may increase cardiovascular (heart disease) risk.

In the U.S. prostate cancer is a common cancer affecting 17% of men who are older than 65; 3% of old men died because of this disease annually. There are some symptoms of this disease: urinary problems (e.g.; urgency, frequency, hesitancy, pain during urination), difficult in penile erection, painful ejaculation, blood in urine or semen, pelvic discomfort, frequent pain in lower back, belly or hip, swelling in the legs.

33% of American children (of which 40% of African American and Hispanic) are overweight or obese.

People who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and other health problems.

Women of child-bearing age that the epilepsy drug Topamax can increase the risk of birth defects around the mouth.

Taking codeine, hydrocodone, or other opioid painkillers shortly before or early in pregnancy increases the risk of congenital heart defects and other birth defects.

Regular use of painkiller ibuprofen may cut the risk of developing Parkinson's disease.

Small doses of aspirin can lower the risk of heart attack, but it doesn't appear to cut the chances of dying from the disease.

Men can develop the breast cancer disease. In the U.S., breast cancer in men accounts for less than 1% of breast cancer cases, and tends to strike men aged 60 and older.

For menopausal women who develop breast cancer, drugs called aromatase inhibitors, which are a class of drugs used in the treatment of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women, can prevent new or recurring breast cancer.

As of 2/20/2011, more than 110,000 Americans are listed as waiting for organs, including 87,995 for kidneys; 16,108 for liver; 3,209 for heart; 1,802 for lung; 1,398 for pancreas; and 258 for intestine.

26,213 transplants were performed in the U.S. between January 2010 and November 2010. Average number of days that Americans wait for a transplant is 1,269 for kidney; 319 for liver; 168 for heart; 148 for lung; 260 for pancreas; and 142 for intestine.

Around 88,000 Americans need kidneys each year. However, only about 17,000 get kidneys, and more than 4,600 die because they did not get one in time.

People suffered from mild hypertension, which is a blood pressure reading of no higher than 160/100 mm Hg, took a 81-milligram tablet of aspirin in the evening had a significant reduction in their blood pressure. Those who took the aspirin in the morning had no reduction at all.

People who work more than 11 hours on a daily basis might lead to heart disease.

Heart attack, cardiac arrest and stroke generally often occur in early morning hours (between 5:00 AM and 12:00 PM) when the agreeability of thrombocytes is higher. A daily baby aspirin pill (81 mg), often recommended to lower the risks of heart disease, can also reduce high blood pressure -- but only if it's taken at bedtime.

For people who have recently had a stent implanted in a blocked heart artery, the risk of developing a blood clot may be higher early in the morning than other times of day. Stent patients generally take aspirin plus another anti-clotting medication (e.g.; Plavix) for some time after the procedure -- a year or more if they have drug-coated stents.

Cell phones emit ultra-high-frequency radio waves during calls and data transfers, and this radiation may link to long-term health risks like brain cancer.

People who eat a lot of fiber every day may be less likely to die prematurely from a range of illnesses -- including heart disease, cancer and infection. The protective effect came mainly from cereal fiber in grains, not other sources of fiber such as fruits and vegetables.

People who drank diet soda every day had a 61 percent higher risk of vascular events, including stroke and heart attack, than those who completely eschewed the diet drinks. Diet sodas might be also bad for your head.

In 2009 there were 24.6 million people suffered from Asthma in the U.S.

Having babies close together appears to increase the risk of autism.

Every year around 18,000 American men learn they have prostate cancer.

In the U.S. every year surgeons performed more than a million hip and knee replacements. In 2008, number of joint replacements for knees was 616,617, hips (total): 277,399; hips (partial): 108,491; shoulder (total): 26,178; shoulder (partial): 20,178; hand/finger/wrist: 2,338; and ankle: 1,554. Many patients will need to repair or replace their replacements 10 t0 20 years later.

People who have less than seven to eight hours of sleep can lead to a lower resistance to the common cold.

People who exercise five or more days per week not only have less colds, but have a lower incidence of cold symptoms.

Scientists have developed a blood test that could find a single cancer cell circulating in a person's blood. The test will be used by oncologists as a diagnostic tool aimed at discovering as early as possible if a cancer has spread.

Allergies affect around 50 million people in the U.S. Dust mites cause allergies in about 20 million people, and about 10 million people are allergic by cats.

Women who suffer from both depression and diabetes have a increased risk of heart attacks and a higher chance of dying over a six-year period.

About 1 million people in the U.S. go to the hospital with a heart attack every year; 2 in 3 people survive their heart attacks, and 1 in 5 heart attack survivors develop major depression.

Nervous system disorders, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure are ones of many physical or medical conditions that contribute to sexual dysfunction and diminish sexual desire.

Around 5.2 million people in the U.S. do not know they have diabetes. African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans are almost twice as likely to get diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.

Patients taking Vioxx (also called rofecoxib) doubled their chances of having blood clots or dying in the first half-year after discontinuing treatment.

People who take cholesterol-lowering statins for at least one to two years appear to be less likely to develop gallstones.

Smoking is clearly the major risk factor for lung cancer. However, about one-quarter of lung cancer cases worldwide are diagnosed in people who have never smoked.

Smoking of marijuana increases risks of lung cancer, weakened immunity system, brain drain and heart diseases. Using pot as medicine instead of real medical care is not smart.

Patients diagnosed with Cowden syndrome face an increased risk for colon cancer.

Heavy drinking hampers youths' memory and learning; and can cause neurological damage.

Woman who had at least one stillbirth or miscarriage will increase the risk of a heart attack by 3.5 times later in her life; and women who had more than 3 miscarriages during their childbearing years will have 9 times as likely to have a heart attack.

People take tricycle antidepressants raise a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

Men with long index fingers have a lower risk of prostate cancer.

Being too skinny or too fat is unhealthy and can shorten life.

Two-thirds of American adults are classified as either overweight or obese, and about one in three Americans develop some type of cancer during their life.

Childhood obesity links to the risk of adult obesity, heart/cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic disorders.

Secondhand smoke kills more than 600,000 people worldwide every year. The deaths include about 379,000 from heart disease, 165,0000 from lower respiratory infections, 36,900 from asthma, and 21,400 from lung cancer.

Long-term stress may result in increasing risks for both diabetes and depression.

Heart patients taking the popular blood-thinning drug warfarin, which is an anticoagulant, are risking potentially dangerous complications (e.g.; severe bleeding or a blood clot) by combining it with supplements, such as fish oil, coenzyme Q10, glucosamine, chondroitin, and multivitamin.

People who drink as little as a half cup or so of coffee or tea per day may lower brain cancer risk by as much as 34%.

Stress symptoms commonly include exhaustion, irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physiological reactions, such as sleeplessness, headache and elevated heart rate. Stress is hurting physical and emotional health and contributing to some of the leading causes of death. Today 1 out of every 4 American are dealing with extremely high stress levels. The top 10 stress factors are money, work, economy, family responsibilities, relationships, personal health concerns, housing costs, job stability, health problems affecting the family, and personal safety

A new report released on November 10, 2010 by the CDC found that around 49.9 million Americans aged 18-64 went at least part of the last twelve months without health care insurance coverage.

Doctors now can detect pre-cancerous growths in the stool for a colon cancer test; this new test can potentially be an alternative to colonoscopies. Colorectal cancer is a treatable disease if caught early.

As of today about 24 million U.S. adults have diabetes, most of them type-2 diabetes linked strongly with poor diet and lack of exercise. Diabetes was the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S., and is the leading cause of new cases of blindness among adults under age 75, as well as kidney failure, and leg and foot amputations not caused by injury.

In addition to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, aspirin can also lower the risk of colon cancer, which is the second most common form of cancer in developed countries after lung cancer. Especially, aspirin benefits people who have the heart disease or high blood pressure, and people who already had a heart attack or a stroke.

The five year survival rate for all cancers combined is approximately 65 percent. Surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are the forms of cancer treatment.

Lung cancer, a serious illness, is the major cause of death in the U.S. Early screening for this disease is not as effective as it is with breast, colon or prostate cancers. It is also more resistant to treatment than some other cancers.

Palliative care, which helps the gravely ill make the most of the time they have left, provided a surprising bonus for terminal lung cancer patients. The patients who started soon after their diagnosis on palliative care along with usual cancer care lived nearly three months longer than people given only standard cancer care. More than half of lung cancer patients have incurable diseases by the time they are diagnosed.

Replacing processed/refined foods with whole-grain foods may help lower blood pressure. High blood pressure can contribute to heart disease, heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and more. A study showed that eating three servings of whole-grain products daily could reduce the risk of coronary artery disease by at least 15% and stroke by 25% or more.

Eggs are bad for your heart. One large egg yolk has about 213 mg of cholesterol. If you are healthy, you should limit one egg a day. If you have cardiovascular disease, diabetes or a high blood cholesterol level, you should limit one egg every 2-day.

Studies have linked chocolate consumption with lower blood pressure, lower levels of bad cholesterol and reduced risk of stroke and heart attack. However, chocolate may increase risk of diabetes.

Pregnant women with epilepsy, particularly those on anti-seizure medications, may have higher rates of cesarean section and heavy bleeding after delivery than other women.

Young people with the kind of irregular heartbeat (known as a trial fibrillation) may be better off undergoing surgery to fix the problem instead of taking medication first.

The controversial diabetes pill Avandia has caused as many as 100,000 heart attacks, strokes, deaths and cases of heart failure in the U.S. European regulators ordered it off the market. FDA announces major restrictions on which patients can get Avandia.

The drug Cisplatin when used with radiation, reduces the likelihood of dead among cervical cancer patients by nearly 25 percent.

Tai chi eased painful joints and other symptoms of fibromyalgia. Tai chi combines meditation with slow, gentle movements, deep breathing and relaxation. It can improve muscle strength, balance, sleep, coordination and fibromyalgia.

Calcium tablets may raise risk of heart attack and are dud a safeguarding the skeleton. Researchers reported that 30 percent more heart attacks occurred in people over age 40 who took calcium pills.

Chlorotoxin, an ingredient in scorpion venom, may shrink brain cancers by helping spread therapeutic genes throughout the brain gene therapy.

Mississippi has some of the country's highest rates of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and infant mortality.

The gel, called Caprisa, contains the aids drug Tenofovir. A two and a half year study showed it reduced HIV infections in women by 39%.

Years of wearing high heels can alter the anatomy of calf muscles and tendons. Women who wore heels had shorter calf muscle fibers than those who didn't wear heels.

Tanning beds are not the only place where you can find harmful UVA radiations; the heat lamp at nail salons may be just as harmful as the tanning bed.

Use of cleaning products may be at higher breast cancer risk.

Nearly every reusable bag is found dirty with amounts of bugs. Coliform bacteria, found from raw-meat or uncooked-food contamination, was half of the bags, and E.coli was found in 12 percent of the bags.

Among American women with advanced degrees, in 2008, 24 percent in their early 40s were childless; in 1994, 31% were. For women with less than a high school diploma, in 2008, 15 percent of that group was childless; in 1994, that figure was 9 percent. In 2008 the number of women without biological children is 1.9 million, compared with 580,000 in 1976.

Obese women have four times as many unplanned pregnancies as healthy-weight women despite having less sex, and obese men are more likely to have sexual diseases despite fewer partners.

The drug tranexamic acid, or TXA, a low-cost drug that helps prevent hemorrhage, may save the lives of as many as 100,000 trauma victims each year.

Drugs, such as Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid, that are supposed to treat frequent heartburn could be increasing people's risk of hip, spine, and wrist fractures. These drugs will change the way their body absorbs calcium that leads to less-dense bones, which can increase the risk of fractures.

Cutting sugar intake by 130 calories a day—the amount in one 12-ounce can of regular soda—may help lower blood pressure.

Cutting back on calories from sugary beverages -- by only one serving per day -- accounted for nearly two-and-a-half pounds of lost weight over 18 months.

If you bleach your teeth too often, it can thin the enamel. Your teeth can end up almost translucent.

One of the first signs of diabetes is bleeding gums or bone loss around the teeth.

Diabetes can cause heart disease, kidney failure, limb amputations and blindness

Diabetes occurs when the body is unable to produce or unable to properly use and store glucose (a form of sugar). It is a major risk factor for heart disease. People who are over 40 and overweight are more likely to develop diabetes.

As of 3/2011 more than 25 million Americans have diabetes (more than 90% have Type 2), but an additional 79 million people have pre-diabetes, in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not as high as in diabetes.

Adults with pre-diabetes who lost 7% of their body weight can reduce their risk of diabetes by 58%

In 2009 diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. for people aged 25 years and older; 23.6 million people in the U.S. have diabetes; 11.2% of men and 10.2% of women have diabetes.

Black, Hispanics and American Indians have higher rates of diabetes

Eating brown rice can cut diabetes risk.

One in 10 Chinese adults already have diabetes; the finding surpasses other Western nations, including Germany and Canada.

Diabetes is a silent disease. However, there are some symptoms of this disease: weight loss, increased urination, excessive thirst, fatigue and irritability, blurry vision tingling/numbness, hunger, skin problems, slow healing, and/or Candida infections.

Stroke is the number three killer in the US, affecting almost 800,000 people each year. Top risks for a stroke include high-fat diet, being single, being unhappy, being obese, smoking, and being born in the wrong demographic.

Zocor can cause muscle damage as well as severe and potentially lethal kidney damage.

There are three types of muscles in the human body: cardiac, smooth and skeletal. Cardiac muscle makes up the wall of the heart. Smooth muscles make up the walls of the intestine, the uterus, blood vessels, and internal muscles of the eye. Skeletal muscles are attached to the bones; contraction of the skeletal muscles helps limbs and other body parts move.

The hardest working muscle is the heart. It pumps out 2 ounces (71 grams) of blood at every heartbeat. Daily the heart pumps at least 2,500 gallons (9,450 liters) of blood. The heart has the ability to beat over 3 billion times in a person’s life.

Breast cancer survivors who take aspirin regularly may be less likely to die or have their cancer return. Aspirin has relatively benign adverse effects compared with cancer chemotherapeutic drugs and may also prevent colon cancer, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.

Breast cancer cases could be avoided if you ate less and exercised more.

Both parents’ ages linked to autism risk. When the father was over 40 and the mother under 30, the increased risk was 59 percent greater than for younger men. By contrast, when the father was over 40 and the mother 30 or older, the risk of autism rose 13 percent.

Fish oil pills may be able to save some young people with signs of mental illness from descending into schizophrenia, which is a severe mental illness that strikes adolescents and young adults. About 2.4 million Americans have the disorder, which is treated with antipsychotic medication.

Lipodystrophy, a syndrome that causes the supporting fatty tissue under the skin to crumble even while the skin continues to grow, often at an alarming rate, makes people look older, such as it makes a girl, 13, look like she's 50.

Eating better, weighing less and exercising more are now being recognized as important components of the fight against cancer. The cancers that are reported to occur less frequently in these people are cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and possibly the lung, digestive system, thyroid, bladder and the hematopoietic system.

Women who are depressed have an increased risk of abdominal obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.

A dad with symptoms of depression was twice as likely to have an infant who cried excessively as was a dad who was not depressed.

Too much TV watching could mean a shorter lifespan. People watching 4 or more hours of TV a day were more likely to die earlier than those who watched less than 2 hours a day.

Drugs commonly used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease may reduce the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

Coffee drinkers may be less likely to be hospitalized for heart rhythm disturbances.

Coffee may have health benefits and may not pose health risks for many people. A number of studies have found that coffee is associated with a reduced risk of diabetes. Having a few more cups of coffee and running that extra mile each day can reduce a man's risk of dying of prostate cancer.

Green tea has been touted for a number of health benefits, such as fighting heart disease and cancer.

Women veterinarians have double the risk of miscarriage.

Women should not need a mammogram in their 40s, but should get one every two years starting at 50.

High levels of vitamin D in the blood appear to be linked to lower risks of colorectal cancer.

Vitamin D contribute to a strong and healthy heart. A lack of vitamin D may contribute to depression in both men and women. Inadequate vitamin D levels may significantly increase the risk of stroke, heart disease and death.

Lack of sleep causes fat accumulation around organs.

Men with insomnia (i.e.; sleeplessness) who sleep fewer than six hours each night are at an increased risk of dying compared with people who sleep longer. Less sleep has also been linked with hypertension and other risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

Shorter-than-normal or longer-than-normal sleep was associated with increased risk of developing or dying of coronary heart disease and stroke. Most studies classed the duration of “normal sleep” as 7-8 hours a night.

People, who averaged less than six hours of sleep at night, had an almost 50 per cent increase in the risk of colorectal adenomas compared with individuals sleeping at least seven hours per night.

Having high blood pressure (HBP) and coronary artery disease (CAD) puts you at a greater risk of a heart attack or stroke. You can have HBP for years without knowing it because HBP itself usually has no symptoms. If your blood pressure rises and stays high over time, it can damage your heart, blood vessels, kidneys, and other parts of your body. The numbers in a blood pressure reading include Systolic and Diastolic. Systolic (the top number) is the maximum pressure in the arteries when the heart is contracting or squeezing. Diastolic (the bottom number) represents the pressure in the arteries when the heart is at rest. The recommended blood pressure goal is below 140/90 mmHg (millimeters of mercury). If your blood pressure is above that level, you may have HBP. The most common of medications to treat HBP in people who have CAD is Beta-blockers, which slow the heart rate, reduce the heart's output of blood, and decrease the force of the heart beat.

Currently, about 4 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer's disease, and about 22,000 people die from Alzheimer's disease every year. - One in 10 people over age 65 and nearly half of people over 85 have Alzheimer's disease.

Low Cholesterol May Help Prevent Cancer- Men with cholesterol levels lower than 200 have a lower risk of developing the the prostate cancer.

Heart disease or cardiovascular disease (CDV), which affects more than 1 in 3 adults, is responsible for 35.3 percent of all deaths in the U.S. Today, the chance of dying in few days immediately after of a heart attack is around 6 percent. CDV deaths declined by 26.4 percent from 1995 to 2005. In 1994, it was about 10 percent. In 1984, it was 19 percent. In the 1960s, it was 30 to 40 percent. The lifetime risk of developing coronary artery disease after age 40 is more than 50 percent for men without symptoms.

Cardiovascular disease (CDV) killed 864,480 American in 2005; 151,000 of CDV deaths were under age 65. 16.8 million Americans had a heath attack or angina; 6.5 million Americans had a stroke; 5.7 million live with heart failure; 309,000 Americans died from sudden heart attack.

About 6 million people each year go to hospitals with chest pain; however, only a small fraction are truly having a heart attack. CT scans are increasingly used to diagnose heart attack, but they put out a lot of radiation, which may raise a person's chances of developing cancer.

Sugar intake linked to heart disease - Just like eating a high-fat diet can increase your levels of triglycerides and high cholesterol, eating sugar can also affect those same lipids.

One of major factors caused the cardiovascular disease is higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Cholesterol and triglycerides are necessary for our life. While cholesterol is essential for body to work properly, triglycerides provide the fuel needed for body cells to function. Total cholesterol (TC) is an estimated measure bad cholesterol (LDL), good cholesterol (HDL) and triglycerides. TC = LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides/5). Goal: less than 200 mg/DL for TC. LDL, or bad cholesterol, carried cholesterol to tissues in your body. Higher levels of LDL in your blood mean that cholesterol is being stick to your artery walls. The arteries may develop a fatty buildup called atherosclerosis. Goal: less than 100 mg/dL for LDL. HDL, or good cholesterol, carried cholesterol away tissues in your body. Higher levels of HDL in your blood mean that cholesterol is being carried away from artery walls to the liver and then eliminated from the body. Goal: greater than 60 mg/dL for HDL. Triglycerides are another fatty substance in the blood. Higher levels of triglycerides in your blood mean larger thickening of the artery walls, which causes higher risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Goal: less than 150 mg/dL for Triglycerides. Some commonly prescribed medications lowering your cholesterol are: Crestor, Lescol, Lipitor, Pravachol and Zocor.

As per American Heart Association, 1,314,000 angioplasties, in which a plastic catheter is snaked into the blocked artery and a small balloon is inflated, opening the vessel, were done in the United States in 2006. Of these 1,313,000 were percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs).  855,000 men and 459,000 women had angioplasties. 448,000 cardiac revascularizations (also known as coronary artery bypass graft or CABG operations) were done in the United States in 2006. CABG was performed on 323,000 men and 125,000 women. In 2007, American cardiologists performed 721,000 angioplasties. Patients were often given out of the hospital a year of clopidogrel (Plavix) and a life time of stain, ACE inhibitor, beta blockers and aspirin. The cost of a heart attack treatment was about $5,700 in 1977 to $54,400 in 2007.

A new study raises fresh concerns about Zetia and its cousin, Vytorin. Zetia failed to shrink buildups in artery walls, and Zetia users also suffered more heart attacks. Vytorin is a pill that combines Zetia with a statin. it has been proven that neither Vytorin nor Zetia are any better at lowering cholesterol, reducing plaque buildup in the arteries, or prevent heart attacks or death than low grade niacin.

Heart disease is the number one killer of American of all ages while cancer is the number one killer of Americans under 85. 46% of women and 22% of men heart attack survivors will be disabled with heart failure within six years. 435,000 American women have heart attacks annually; 42% die within 1 year; which kill six times as many women as breast cancer.

At least 171 million people worldwide have diabetes. Around 3.2 million deaths every year; six deaths every minute. The top 10 countries, in numbers of sufferers, are India, China, USA, Indonesia, Japan, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil Italy and Bangladesh.

Number of people lived longer is increased rapidly. In 1950 there were 14.5 million people lived over 80 years; 101.1 million people in 2009; and there will be 394.7 million people in 2050.

Today, there are over 200,000 centennial (aged over 100) persons. 66 are over 110. The oldest persons in history were Jeanne Calment (1875–1997, 122 years, 164 days), Shigechiyo Izumi (1865–1986, 120 years, 237 days), and Christian Mortensen (1882–1998, 115 years, 252 days).

Walking can prolong life; 2 miles (3.2 km) daily reduce by 50% the risk of dying, and 2.5 times the risk of having cancer and heart disease.

People with lots of close friends and family around will likely live a lot longer than lonesome people.

Women who walked for at least two hours or more each week were less likely to suffer a stroke than those who do not.

Sixty percent of American adults do less than 30 minutes of moderate activity three time a week.

Genes have little effect on Life Expectations. Controlling heart disease risk factors, like smoking, cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes, pays off in a more vigorous old age and a longer life. And it seems increasingly likely that education plays a major role in health and Life Expectations.

There are 30 different blood types. However, most people have blood types: O, A, B and AB. Type O blood is the most common, it can help other Os and also people with AB, A and B blood types. The next common one is type A, which can help other As and also people with AB blood types. Type B is one of the rarest blood types, it can help people with B, O, A and AB blood types. Type AB is the rarest blood type of 4 common ones, it can help people with AB, O, B and A blood types. The major common blood types in the U.S. include O+: 37.4%; O-: 6.6%; A+: 35.7%; A-: 6.3%; B+ 8.5%; B-: 1.5%; AB+: 3.4% and AB-: 0.6%.

Around 60 million people died by the Spanish flu of 1918-’19; as many as 16 million people may have died in India alone. The Asian flu (H2N2) pandemic of 1957-’58 killed 69,800 people in the US and two million worldwide. Another avian strain (H3N2), known as the Hong Kong flu, killed 33,800 people in the US and 700,000 worldwide in 1968-’69. About 300 people around the world were infected by that strain of avian flu (H5N1, also SARS) in 2003 and more than half of them died. As of July 6, 2009, Novel influenza A (H1N1) has infected 94,512 people and killed 429 in 84 countries, of which, there were 33,902 cases, 170 deaths in the U.S. There are approximately 226,000 people are hospitalized each year due to seasonal influenza and 36,000 died in the U.S. As many as 80 million Americans have been infected with H1N1 swine flu, up to 16,000 have been killed and more than 360,000 hospitalized in the U.S. as of 1/15/2010.

Around 46 million Americans under the age of 65 were without health insurance since 2007.

People who lost their jobs between September 1, 2008 and December 31, 2009 can keep COBRA coverage under their former employer's plan for up to 18 months. The economic-stimulus plan provides a 65% subsidy for COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) premiums for up to 9 months for people who were laid off during this period To find out if you qualify, go to dol.gov or call 866-444-3272.

If you have no insurance and/or your family has a low income, you and your family are eligible for joining the Partnership for Prescription Assistance (pparx.com), a coalition of pharmaceutical companies, healthcare providers, and patient advocacy groups that helps patients get free or discounted medications. Typically, as a member you can receive free medications or pays only $4 for a generic thyroid prescription.

If you've ever been hospitalized, do not make any decisions before you have received, and analyzed, all the bills. Once you've determined what you can afford, ask the hospital's credit officer for interest-free payments. If the debt is truly unwieldy, ask for the Medicare rate (not the insurance rate) or a charity write-off.