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The annual flu shot may do more than just save you from a nasty bout of influenza -- it might also prevent a heart attack.

An international team of researchers found that deaths from heart attacks jumped by an astounding 30 per cent in the general population whenever there was an outbreak of the flu.

The study is based on autopsy reports collected between 1993 and 2000 in St. Petersburg, Russia. The researchers picked this city for the study because very few residents get annual flu shots or take cholesterol-lowering drugs. So, the results should reflect what happens when flu sweeps through an unprotected community.

"Our research shows that influenza epidemics . . . can act as a trigger for heart attacks," said lead scientist Mohammad Madjid of the University of Texas in Houston.

How can the flu bring on a deadly heart attack? Dr. Madjid noted that many people have a buildup of plaque, or fatty deposits, lining the walls of their blood vessels. The flu, he said, produces severe inflammation, which can "destabilize" the atherosclerotic plaque and cause it to rupture. The plaque can then form a clot that blocks blood flow to the heart. And, presto, you get a heart attack.

"Flu is a killer," Dr. Madjid said. "Lots of people think if they get the flu they will just be spending a few days in bed. But you should take it very seriously -- especially if you are at risk of developing a heart attack."

He says people at high risk, or those living with vulnerable individuals, should make sure they get a flu shot each fall. "We should get vaccinated," said Dr. Madjid, whose study was published in the European Heart Journal. "The flu shot can provide protection against heart attacks."

Aspirin a cancer shield?

A daily dose of acetylsalicylic acid, better known by its brand name, Aspirin, appears to slightly reduce the risk of getting a variety of common cancers, according to new research involving 146,000 men and women.

An earlier study had looked at the long-term used of low-dose Aspirin (using the actual brand, about 100 milligrams every other day) in a large group of women. But it didn't seem to provide any cancer protection.

The new study, however, used a higher dose and it appears to have done the trick. "Men and women who had used adult-strength Aspirin (325 mg or more) daily for five or more years had an approximately 15 per cent lower rate of developing any cancer than those who did not use Aspirin," the lead researcher, Eric Jacobs of the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, said in an e-mail interview.

"Specific cancers that occurred less commonly in long-term daily Aspirin users include colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and possibly breast cancer."

The researchers, whose study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, aren't sure why Aspirin might keep cancer at bay. However, Dr. Jacobs noted that Aspirin inhibits certain enzymes, called cyclooxygenases, which tumours need to stimulate new blood vessels to keep growing.

Despite the promising findings, Dr. Jacobs warns it is far too soon for the public to start popping ASA tablets to ward off cancer. A lot more research needs to done to confirm the results.

Furthermore, frequent use of the common painkiller can trigger serious side effects, including gastrointestinal bleeding. So, you want to be sure you're not doing more harm than good.

Bug repellent doesn't fly

Don't bother wasting your money on those electronic mosquito repellents -- they don't work, scientists say.

The devices, which emit high-pitched sounds barely audible to human ears, are supposed to drive away pesky mosquitoes. But a review of 10 separate field trials failed to turn up any convincing evidence that the gadgets keep the bugs from biting.

The studies were carried out in several parts of the world where there are different varieties of mosquitoes. Even so, "all 10 studies found that there was no difference in the number of mosquitoes found on the bare body parts of the human participants with or without an EMR [electronic mosquito repellent]," said the lead author, Ahmad Ali Enayati of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

And that means you are just as likely to be bitten by a mosquito, regardless of whether you are carrying one of the devices.

In fact, the researchers are so convinced the gadgets are worthless, "there is no reason for even trying to do more research with the devices," they said in a statement released with the study.

The findings were published in the Cochrane Library.