The World Health Organization says if current tobacco-use trends continue, the stuff will kill more than 1 billion this century. (Massimo Ankor/Flickr Creative Commons)
For men (or women) who want a male version of the Pill: There's hope. Reuters reports that researchers have discovered a compound that rendered male mice totally infertile without affecting "the mouse's mojo," as one scientist put it. That could one day be used in birth control pills for men.
The World Health Organization is warning that if current tobacco-use trends continue, more than 1 billion people could be killed by the substance during this century. TIME reports on a new study that shows nearly 50 percent of men and more than 10 percent of women in many developing countries use tobacco, and that many women are starting to smoke at earlier ages. It's the largest survey on international tobacco use to date.
The bacteria C. difficile is linked to more than 30,000 deaths a year in the U.S., and those who are receiving care in hospitals are most susceptible. Sci-Tech Today says health providers "have been slow to adopt proven strategies to reduce the infections," even as they've reduced the rates in nearly every other hospital infection.
Meanwhile, the use of retail clinics – like the kind you'll find in Walgreens or Wal-Mart – is continuing to grow, according to new research appearing in Health Affairs. Study authors found that these clinics are attracting more older patients and delivering more preventive care, flu shots and vaccinations in particular. As of now, it's unclear how the role of retails clinics will change as the Affordable Care Act is enacted further.
In 2006, major beverage companies signed a pledge saying they'd ship less soda and sugary drinks to schools. And what do you know – the Los Angeles Times reports the self-regulation worked. Economists found that companies shipped 90 percent fewer calories to schools than they did in 2004, and cut their shipments of full-calorie sodas by a whopping 97 percent.
Finally, in news from HealthDay:
-Pregnant women who smoke high-potency pot can cause their unborn baby some serious brain damage.
-A negative self-image may play a role in driving teens toward obesity in their 20s.
-Older Americans are living longer than past generations but are also becoming more obese, thus affecting their quality of life.
-And most parents think social media ain't so bad.
Photo by Massimo Ankor via Flickr Creative Commons.
