AS frightening as the prospects of lung cancer and heart attacks are, there's a tendency among smokers to view these as problems that might affect them in a far-distant future. Most smokers would prefer to think that they'll have given up long before the day of reckoning. But new research could give them the impetus to give up right now. Scientists have discovered that 40% of men who smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day are likely to be impotent and those who smoked up to 20 cigarettes today were 24% more likely to report erection difficulties. The research was part of an Australian study of health and relationships, and proves that apart from foul-smelling breath and clothes, smoking really is anti-social.

Bad medicine

IT doesn't matter how much technical expertise a doctor has; patients want a great bedside manner. Callousness, arrogance and a dismissive attitude have been cited as reasons why patients have poor experiences with doctors, according to a study at two major US medical centres. Honesty, compassion and respectfulness were the qualities sought in the 'ideal' doctor. 'Thoroughness' was the quality most appreciated by patients, who preferred doctors who explained treatments and followed up with the patient during recovery. Authors of the study say that the findings point to the importance of physicians developing interpersonal skills as well as technical ones.

Sick buildings not really sick?

SICK building syndrome has been blamed for a myriad of health woes, from dry skin and dizziness to nausea and fatigue, but does it actually exist? The latest research suggests that these problems have less to do with a physical environment and is more likely linked to job stress. Researchers who studied 4,000 civil servants, aged 42 to 62, working in different buildings across London, found that the most significant factors contributing to the condition were high stress levels and poor support. While high levels of the syndrome were found in buildings with poor humidity, equally, low levels of symptoms were reported in buildings with high levels of carbon dioxide and poor air circulation. So, it's not the office that's to blame after all, it's just your job.