Bird flu virus mutating, posing bigger threat-WHO
The spate of human bird flu cases in Vietnam this year suggests the deadly virus may be mutating in ways that are making it more capable of being passed between humans, according to a World Health Organization report.
The finding points to the greatest fear of health experts that the H5N1 virus could unleash a pandemic and kill millions around the globe if ever it gained the ability to be transmitted among humans efficiently.
Happy marriage may do a woman’s heart good
Wedded bliss may provide women some protection against Heart disease and Stroke, new study findings suggest.
The study, which followed 413 middle-aged women over a dozen years, found that those who were happy in their marriages were less likely than their dissatisfied peers to develop metabolic syndrome.
Vitamin E may protect against Parkinson’s -study
Eating food rich in vitamin E may help protect against Parkinson’s disease, scientists said on Thursday.
A review of eight studies that looked into whether vitamins C and E and beta carotene had an impact on the odds of developing the progressive brain disease showed that a moderate intake of vitamin E lowered the risk.
Green laser pointers can damage eyes
A woman damaged her eye after spending only seconds looking directly at a green laser pointer, suggesting that these lasers can be more dangerous in green than in red, experts say.
After the woman looked directly at the green laser for different periods of time, including as little as 60 seconds, researchers saw that portions of her retina had changed color, a sign of damage. The woman never experienced any loss of vision, and by 3 weeks, the damage was healing.
The lead author suggested that if the woman had spent longer looking at the laser, her eyesight might have suffered as a result.
