A person’s toothbrush could be a true lifesaver if they land in a hospital ICU, according to new evidence review. Regular toothbrushing is associated with lower rates of death in the intensive care unit (ICU), shorter lengths of stay, and shorter times spent on a mechanical ventilator, researchers report in the Dec. 18 issue of…  read on >  read on >

French Bulldogs might be the most widespread breed in the world, but the fancy, flat-faced pooches pay a high price for their popularity, a new study warns. The shortened skulls and large, round heads that make Frenchies so cute also leads to worse sleep, thanks to breed-specific sleep apnea, researchers report. Further, this poor sleep…  read on >  read on >

A new melanoma vaccine has shown its mettle in battling the deadly skin cancer in a new trial. People with advanced melanomas who received the vaccine plus Merck’s cancer drug Keytruda were 49% less likely to die or have their cancer return after three years than those who were given only Keytruda, vaccine maker Moderna…  read on >  read on >

Smoking shrinks the human brain, and once that brain mass is lost then it’s gone for good, a new study warns. Brain scans from more than 32,000 people strongly link a history of smoking with a gradual loss of brain volume. In fact, the more packs a person smoked per day, the smaller their brain…  read on >  read on >

A healthy plant-based diet can reduce a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes by 24%, a new study has found. Eating plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains has this protective effect even in people with a genetic predisposition for diabetes or risk factors like obesity, advanced age or lack of physical activity, researchers…  read on >  read on >