Medical Discovery NewsBridging the World of Medical Discovery and You

Outbreaks of plague are among the most fatal events in world history. For years, evidence pointed to the Justinian plague as the first which happened in 541 CE. But now, archaeological findings show plague circulated in human communities long before then, among Siberia's hunter-gatherers more than 5,000 years ago.

For people who began vaping as way to stop smoking cigarettes may want to consider quitting after hearing this episode. A large study of people who quit smoking, those who switched to vaping had more than 50 percent higher risk of lung cancer and were twice as likely to die of the disease compared to those who quit outright. The study also suggests that using e-cigarettes to quit traditional cigarettes seems to negate some of the benefits of quitting outright but was still better than continuing to smoke.

In terms of overall health, for a long time, sleep wasn't considered to be all that important. Today, that's all changed. Sleep is key to keeping us healthy and yet, getting enough of it is elusive for more than 50 million Americans. Sleep deprivation puts us at risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, kidney issues, obesity and even depression.

Every time I write a new episode on Ötzi the iceman, I think this is it. Nope! Scientists have just completed the most comprehensive analysis of the mummy's microbiome, adding to the bacteria, fungi and yeasts they've identified in more than three decades of sampling.