BOSTON – Swine flu, health reform and debates over breast and prostate screening tests are among the top 10 health stories identified by the Harvard Health Letter in its annual list.

The Harvard University publication develops a top 10 list each year with help from doctors on its editorial board.

IT issues on the list include social networking's expansion as conduits for information on health and diseases and the debate over the recommended age for mammography tests and frequency with which women should take the tests. A Journal of the American Medical Association study earlier this year concluded that 20 years of screening for breast and prostate cancers had yielded modest reductions in advanced cases of the diseases.

One of the year's biggest stories was the H1N1 flu pandemic. According to Harvard's editorial board, a "measured public health response" and "plenty of information" helped keep the pandemic in perspective, and they say H1N1 will likely remain manageable even during the ongoing flu season.

The Harvard Health Letter's full list of top 2009 health stories is as follows:

• H1N1 flu
• Healthcare reform
• Screening tests
• An alternative to warfarin?
• New findings about "good" and "bad" body fat
• Restrictions on industry gifts to doctors
• MicroRNA-based treatment
• Changes in blood sugar goals for patients in intensive care
• Testing for C-reactive protein
• Social networks as conduits for health and disease