Washington, Feb 24: Vitamin D a. k. a sunshine vitamin can protect people against common cold, a new study has found.

Investigators from the University of Colorado Denver (UC Denver) School of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Children''s Hospital Boston found that people with the lowest blood vitamin D levels reported having significantly more recent colds or cases of the flu.

The risks were even higher for those with chronic respiratory disorders, such as asthma and emphysema. The report appears in the February 23 Archives of Internal Medicine.

Modasa (Gujarat), Feb 24: More and more people are turning up for a vaccination drive launched in Modasa town of Gujarat after an outbreak of Hepatitis-B.

The dreaded disease has claimed close to 43 lives within a fortnight in Sabarkantha district.

Doctors said people of all age groups were being vaccinated against the disease.

Washington, Feb 24: Lowering cholesterol may block the growth of prostate tumors, claims a new study.

Prostate tumors accumulate high levels of cholesterol, and tumor incidence correlates with eating a high fat/high cholesterol diet "Western" diet. In addition, prostate tumor progression has been linked to serum cholesterol levels.

To reach the conclusion, Dr. Keith Solomon and colleagues fed mice a high fat/high cholesterol "Western" diet.

Washington, Feb 24: Taking a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid could reduce the risk of age-related sight problems in women, says a new study.

According to the report in the February 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

Treatment options exist for those with severe cases of the disease, but the only known prevention method is to avoid smoking.

A report issued by National Institute of Virology's (NIV) experts — who are attempting to contain hepatitis-B in Modasa — says that the virus may be a mutant strain.

Hepatitis-B toll touches 56 n 7 more die on monday

Hepatitis-B killed three more people in Modasa on Monday, a day on which the Gujarat government vaccinated 50,000 residents of the taluka in 10 hours, in what could be one of India's largest medical mop-ups. The toll from the outbreak has now touched 56, although officials assert that the figure is 45. Two of Monday's casualties are women, identified Kapila Patel (30) and Harshida Rathod (21). 

The mass-vaccination drive is being carried out in the Modasa taluka and surrounding villages of the Sabarkantha district by 225 teams of health officials and NGO volunteers.