Every day, an estimated 6,800 new peer-reviewed academic articles are published. That’s a whole lot of science to wade through—but don’t fret. We’ll do the legwork for you, each and every morning. Here’s your daily dose of the latest discoveries from journals, research institutions, and news outlets from around the world
Brush Your Teeth to Boost Your Erection
Keeping your teeth clean and buildup-free might have some below-the-belt benefits, too: Men with chronic periodontitis—inflammation of the gums that often develops as a result of plaque buildup—are more than twice as likely to have erectile dysfunction, a new meta-analysis from China concluded. Inflammation caused by gum disease can damage blood vessels in your penis, impeding the blood flow necessary for an erection, as we’ve previously reported. (Protect your erection for life with The Men’s Health Guide to Erectile Dysfunction.)
Give your New Year’s resolutions a boost by turning your yearlong goals into “Monday Resolutions” instead, experts say. Breaking up your resolution into attainable, weekly chunks can help you stay committed for the long haul. Plus, research shows that people’s interest in healthy goals, like quitting smoking, peaks on Mondays, which makes it a logical time to kick your goal into gear.Double-Team Cancer With Common Drugs
Combining two common drugs might pack a potent one-two punch to kill cancer cells, researchers from Switzerland report. They discovered that a drug cocktail of the diabetes drug Metformin and the blood pressure med syrosingopine effectively wiped out cancer cells while preserving healthy cells. More research must be done to determine its role in clinical cancer treatment.
Guard Your Heart Against Hacking
Many medical devices—think pacemakers—are now connected to the Internet, which increases their vulnerability to getting hacked. Thankfully, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is now recommending that device manufacturers develop processes to detect threats and release firmware updates to fix the problem before the hack can harm a patient, CNET reports.
Wean Off Your Migraine Meds
Botox might not just relieve your wrinkles—it may also soothe migraines, too. A study in the Journal of Headache and Pain found that 62 percent of migraine sufferers who overused headache meds and 49 percent of those taking preventive drugs were able to discontinue their therapies after one year of Botox treatments.
Source: Men’s Health