Health briefs, a flu shot protects now

GET YOUR FLU SHOT

This season's flu vaccine is now available, and Americans should get their flu shot as soon as possible, an expert says. Contrary to some beliefs, an early flu shot will offer protection for the entirety of the flu season, says Dr. Stephen Russell, an associated professor in the general internal medicine division at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Most people will only need one shot each year, but the flu shot a patient had last year will not protect them for this coming flu season," he said. "Many people will say they do not need the vaccine, as they have never had the flu before, but that is like saying you don't need to wear your seat belt because you have never had a wreck," Russell said. "You may have been fine in the past, but that should not offer security or protection for future exposures to the flu."

KNEES HURT? EAT LESS

Older people with a weight problem can relieve knee pain from osteoarthritis if they lose just 10 percent of their body weight through diet and exercise, a new study finds.

Overweight and obese people 55 or older who participated in a diet and exercise program reported less pain, better knee function, improved mobility and enhanced quality of life when they dropped one-tenth of their weight, according to the study in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

-- HealthDay