The Cool Kids Get Flu First

Here's what we're reading today:

Uninsured: More than 50 million Americans have no health insurance, according to new U.S. Census data. Kaiser Health News has a convenient roundup of the media coverage.

Acne: Could the risk of suicidal thoughts, long believed to be linked to powerful anti-acne meds like Accutane, actually come from having acne itself? Some Norwegian researchers think so.  

Flu: You always knew there was a downside to being popular. Now science agrees! A new study suggests that the cool kids (always surrounded by others) are more likely to catch seasonal flu first. Viva wallflowers!

Memory Loss: What was I saying again? Oh, yeah: researchers are finding that memory loss may not be a normal part of aging but could be caused by brain lesions.

Health Costs: The "blame du jour" for high U.S. healthcare costs might have targeted malpractice lawsuits yesterday and the obese today, but the Incidental Economist blog's Aaron Carroll points out some other causes that might be a little more rational. An excellent overview of what causes health care costs to rise.