Flu risk factors

According to the Centers for Disease Control, people at higher risk of complications from the swine flu, or any flu, include:

• Children less than 5 years old, with those younger than 2 at highest risk of severe complications
• Adults 65 years of age and older
• Pregnant women
• Anyone age 18 or younger who is receiving long-term aspirin therapy, because there is an increased risk of Reye's syndrome associated with the flu.
• Anyone with any the following underlying diseases or conditions:
  
  • chronic pulmonary diseases, such as asthma
  • cardiovascular disease, except high-blood pressure
  • kidney diseases
  • liver diseases
  • blood diseases such as sickle-cell disease
  • neurologic or neuromuscular diseases such as multiple sclerosis and muscular dystrophy
  • metabolic disorders such as diabetes
  • immunosuppression, such as HIV, or caused by medication.