SPREAD ALOHA

Extending gratitude

Michael Emerson, who plays a bad guy on the Hawaii-taped TV show “;Lost,”; knows how to express his thanks.

Several days after the Hawaii International Film Festival announced that its inaugural “;Mahalo Nui Loa Award”; would be presented next month to “;Lost”; executive producer/director Jack Bender and co-executive producer Jean Higgens, Emerson was awarded the Emmy for best supporting actor. “;As they say in Honolulu,”; Emerson closed his acceptance speech on Sunday night, “;Mahalo nui loa.”;

AUTUMN? COOL

Fall into the season

So long, summer. Hello, fall.

If recent weeks of the long, hot summer have taken a toll on energy levels, take heart—today marks the first day of autumn and hopefully with it, cooler temperatures. No more 90-degree weather with absentee trade winds, please.

Then again, for parents and guardians with kids well into their first quarter of school, summer may already seem like a distant memory.

CARDIAC CARE

Flu shot in the arm gives ailing heart a shot, too

Only about one-third of cardiac patients in the U.S. regularly get vaccinated against the flu. The other two-thirds are taking a big risk, health experts say, because the flu virus can cause a heart attack.

British researchers who analyzed 39 studies of cardiac patients found a consistent link between flu and heart attacks; up to half of all unexpected flu deaths were due to heart disease. Experts say it's crucial that cardiac patients get vaccinated against both regular flu and swine flu to avoid medical problems.

Flu viruses cause inflammation in the body, usually in the lungs. But they can also cause swelling in the heart itself or in the coronary arteries, which could lead to clots breaking off and causing a heart attack.