Insidermedicine in 60 - June 25, 2008

From Atlanta - The number of Americans with diabetes has increased to about 24 million people, representing 8% of the U.S. population. This number reflects an increase of about 3 million people over 2 years, while an estimated 57 million are believed to have pre-diabetes. However, awareness of the disease has also increased as the percentage of people unaware of their condition dropped from 30% to 25%.

From Geneva - According to the WHO, following a simple checklist during surgery can significantly reduce the number of surgical errors that occur. Simple reminders such as marking the surgical site, asking about allergies, and counting the number of sponges and needles have been shown to double the likelihood of top-standard surgical care in eight pilot studies, resulting in fewer complications and deaths.

And finally, from Toronto - The Canadian Cancer Society is calling for a ban on flavored cigarillos after a youth smoking survey conducted by the University of Waterloo found that 35% of students in grades 10 to 12 reported that they had tried cigars, cigarillos or little cigars. Cigarillos are often sold in colorful packaging and are available in flavors that mimic the taste of candy, fruit or ice cream. Cigarillos are also more affordable to young people as they can be purchased individually for about the price of a cup of coffee.

For Insidermedicine in 60, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• diabetes
• overweight
• obesity
• insulin
• pancreas
• world
• health
• organization
• surgical
• cigarillo
• cigar
• cancer
• kids
• tobacco
• leaf

[jaytheman898]

this is great