A round-up of this week's other health stories in brief.
•MEN ON DIETS: Almost nine out of 10 men want to lose weight to look good on the beach, according to a new poll.
A total of 87 per cent said they were going on a diet, with 70 per cent hoping to shed at least half a stone by August. One in five said he was doing it for his partner, compared to just over one in 10 women.
Almost half of all dieters said they hoped to lose a stone in six weeks, with 20 per cent of those aged 16-24 saying they thought it would help them find a new partner.
Cereal manufacturer Kellogg's conducted the survey of 1,349 people, which found that most people's ideal weight loss was about a stone.
•CLINICAL SKILLS CENTRE: What is being touted as the first National Clinical Skills Centre (Women and Infants) has been launched in Dublin at the Coombe Hospital.
The centre will provide a facility for professional groups to run training courses of clinical skills in obstetrics, neonatal paediatrics, midwifery, open and endoscopic gynaecological surgery and resuscitation skills.
Supported by the Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Coombe Women's Hospital, the Royal College of Surgeons and the HSE, the centre aims to teach individual clinical skills that will enable medical and surgical personnel to approach a live operation or clinical procedure with competence and experience of the technique, according to the Coombe.
Medical and surgical graduates will be able to use unique, computerised and other specialised equipment as part of a number of devoted training courses. Performances can be monitored using the latest high-tech camera/computer simulated technology whereby graduates and their instructors can review progress and improve technique, according to a statement.
•MORNING SICKNESS BENEFIT: Pregnant women who suffer from morning sickness can be consoled with the knowledge they have a lowered risk of breast cancer, new research has shown.
A study of 3,000 women found nausea during pregnancy was associated with a 30 per cent reduced chance of developing the disease in later life. Scientists think the explanation may be changing hormone levels that affect breast tissue as well as trigger feelings of sickness.
One hormone made in the placenta has been shown in laboratory tests to be potentially protective against cancer. Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) affects foetal development, and is routinely measured for pregnancy tests.
The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Buffalo, New York State.
•LOOKING FORWARD TO HEALTHY DIETS: Britain's eating habits will get even healthier over the next decade, according to Tesco, its biggest supermarket chain.
Fruit and vegetables will make up a bigger share of consumers' shopping baskets; bio yoghurts and other "functional" dairy products will become more popular; and shoppers will be more likely to pick out seasonal foods and British produce, according to Tesco.
Tesco's predictions follow a poll of more than 2,000 people, which found 65 per cent already eat five portions of fruit and veg per day. More than half (53 per cent) seek out products which are good for their health and 60 per cent said they try to buy British food.
•DIABETIC SMOKERS: People with type 1 diabetes who smoke are more than twice as likely to have an episode of severe hypoglycemia, or very low blood sugar, as those who have never smoked, according to a new study.
Hypoglycemia can cause mental confusion, or even coma or seizures in severe instances. "Smoking, through its effect on hormone regulation and insulin clearance, has been hypothesised to result in severe hypoglycemia," Dr Ronald Klein, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said.
The researchers examined data on 537 people participating in the Wisconsin Epidemiologic Study of Diabetic Retinopathy. At least one episode of severe hypoglycemia - involving loss of consciousness or overnight hospitalisation - was reported by 78 of the subjects, and the current smokers were more likely to have had an episode.