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Eyespy brings you the latest quirky medical stories from around the world

Surfing may be an “extreme” sport but might not be quite as dangerous as it seems. A team of US researchers have looked at the rate of injury in competitive surfers (American Journal of Sports Medicine 2007;35:113-7). They found that for every 1000 hours surfing, surfers are less likely to be injured than collegiate footballers or basketball players. The most common surfing injuries are ankle sprains and leg strains, probably caused by “aggressive turning and aerial manoeuvres.” If you want to play it safe, stick to the small waves on a sandy beach. Surfing big waves more than doubles the risk of injury as does surfing over a rocky seafloor or a reef (www.medicalnewstoday.com)

It's not all about looks, money, and personality. Genetic differences could also affect what attracts a woman to someone and keeps her with them. Researchers at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque did a genetic analysis of 48 heterosexual couples who had been together exclusively for more than two years and quizzed them on their relationships (Psychological Science 2006;17:830). The researchers concentrated on the major histocompatibility complex-a set of genes that allows the immune system to differentiate between pathogens and the body's own cells and also plays a part in sexual attraction. They found that as similarities …