A review in this week's edition of The Lancet discusses the challenges of an aging population. If current life expectancy trends continue, more than half of babies born in rich nations today will live to 100 years. Not only are we living longer, but those added years are spent with less disability and fewer limitations on daily life than in the past.

A study published on bmj.com today reports that a daily supplement of vitamin D at a dose of 700-1000 IU reduces by 19 percent the risk of falling among older people. However, a dose inferior to 700 IU per day has no effect. IU is an international unit of measurement for vitamins and other biologically active substances.

New research published on bmj.com today reports that addressing the problem of smoking during pregnancy may help to reduce the socioeconomic inequalities in stillbirths and infant deaths by as much as 30 to 40 percent. Without a doubt smoking during pregnancy has been associated with stillbirth.

New research published today on bmj.com suggests there is no strong evidence that the popular smoking cessation drug varenicline increases the risk of self harm or depression compared to other cessation products. The newly introduced Varenicline is a smoking cessation product of proven effectiveness.