(February 6, 2012 - Insidermedicine)

From London - Smoking causes rapid mental decline in men, according to a report published in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Researchers studied over 7,000 men and women for 25 years, finding that men who smoked had more rapid cognitive decline than women and non-smokers, and that those who smoked during the entire followup period demonstrated greater decline in all cognitive tests.

From Boston - 3 cancer drugs may raise risk of fatal side effects, although this risk is still very low, according to a report published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Results of a meta-analysis covering over 4600 cancer patients found that treatment with either sorafenib, sunitinib, or pazopanib resulted in 1.5% of patients having fatal complications, compared with 0.7% of patients given standard therapy or placebo.

And finally, from Baltimore - A behavioural prevention model can reduce bullying and peer rejection in schools, according to a report published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. Studying over 12,000 children, researchers found that the School-wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports model as an alternative to zero-tolerance policies greatly reduced teacher-reported bullying and peer-rejection.