(April 28, 2009 - Insidermedicine) From Boston - According to research in PLoS Medicine, smoking and hypertension are the top preventable causes of death in the U.S. Researchers estimate that each of these factors accounts for at least 20% of preventable deaths among adults. Other common preventable causes of death include obesity, high salt intake, low omega-3 fatty acid intake and high consumption of trans fat.

From Baltimore - According to research in the Archives of Internal Medicine, combination antiplatelet therapy after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) may increase the risk of infection. In a study of nearly 1,700 patients, researchers found that among those who received both aspirin and clopidogrel the incidence of infection was 23%, compared to 16% among those receiving aspirin alone.

And finally, from Geneva - The World Health Organization has raised its pandemic alert system to level four in response to the growing swine flu outbreak. A level four alert indicates sustained human-to-human transmission, while levels five and six would indicate a pandemic. At the present time, over 150 people in Mexico are suspected to have died from the outbreak.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.