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Blue Skies are Gonna Clear Up Get help from online ozone alerts, plus: good (bacteria) wins after all, and the growing concern of heart-valve health. 
Log on to online ozone alerts If you have asthma or some other breathing problem, log on to your computer before you go outside. A new Texas-based national ozone alert system gives daily updated forecasts. University of Houston researchers have developed a color-coded map of ozone levels to help those with respiratory problems plan their days. They’ve been testing it for a year but recently made it available to the public. The researchers were initially driven to develop the system because the Houston, Texas, area suffers the consequences of high ozone levels year-round. Generally, researchers say, the ozone season lasts from June through September. Visit the site at http://www.imaqs.uh.edu/ozone_forecast.htm to see a daily, updated map of ozone levels around the United States. Good wins after all Chewing gum infused with good bacteria can destroy the bad bacteria that rot our teeth, according to scientists at German company BASF, which is developing several products containing this powerful substance. A new strain of lactobacillus called L. anti-caries binds to the substance that makes the acid responsible for breaking down tooth enamel, resulting in tooth decay. It cuts the amount of mouth bacteria 50 times, according to tests done on the strain discovered by BASF researchers. “The friendly bugs in the gum will make the [bad bacteria] clump together, preventing them from becoming attached to the tooth surface,” according to company officials. The new gum is expected to hit stores in 2007. Other products, such as deodorants and toothpastes, could benefit from this discovery. Aging population prompts heart valve concerns More people suffer from heart valve disease as a consequence of our aging population, says a Mayo Clinic study published in The Lancet medical journal. Researchers studied EKGs from 11,911 people and found significantly increased numbers of older adults with valve disease, called a silent killer because it can be severe without a person experiencing any symptoms. “The results ... are not trivial,” says Dr. Maurice Enriquez-Sarano, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. “We predict, in view of the aging population, that the number of U.S. patients with valve disease will double in the next 20 years.” |
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