Research supports that gratefulness offers extensive health benefits, writes Dr. Victor S. Sierpina in the Daily News. Benefits of gratefulness include improved mood, better socialization, stress reduction, quality sleep, reduced pain and inflammation, stronger immunity, and lowered risk of cardiovascular and neurocognitive problems.

UTMB’s Dr. Gulshan Sharma was named one of the chief medical officers to know by Becker’s Hospital Review. “The health system went from earning 3-star to 5-star rankings on Vizient's quality and accountability study under Dr. Sharma's leadership,” Becker’s reports.

The latest guidelines now recommend that all adults over 50 receive pneumococcal vaccination, as well as adults 19-49 who have a chronic health condition or are immunocompromised, write Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp in their latest Vaccine Smarts column.

“Short of a big vaccine program in the cattle, I just don't see how we're going to control it,” Dr. Gregory Gray tells NPR of the ongoing spread of a new strain of bird flu. There are at least 50 known human infections in the U.S. NPR reports but Gray said “it’s pretty clear, we’re missing probably a lot of cases of H5N1 infections.” Gray was also quoted in bird flu stories in outlets such a Web MD, the Associated Press, and Slate, among others.

Scientists have recently established that following a vegan diet, even for a short time, reduces your biological age, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column.

Auricular or ear acupuncture, especially in the form of Battlefield Acupuncture, has gained recognition for its effectiveness in pain management, writes Dr. Hassan Yasin. It is being explored as a treatment for chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD.

“These medications, such as Cialis and Viagra, are believed to offer cardiovascular benefits through improved blood flow, lowering blood pressure, enhancing endothelial function, and providing anti-inflammatory effects,” said UTMB’s Dr. Dietrich Jehle, one of the authors of the study that found that medications like Viagra and Cialis are associated with significant reductions in deaths, cardiovascular disease, and dementia. News of this study was also published in the Galveston County Daily News and on ABC 13.

Diagnosing, managing and treating neurological disorders with minimal surgical risks could be possible with a new technique developed by Rice University and UTMB. This is the first reported technique that enables a neural interface to simultaneously access the brain and spinal cord through a simple and minimally invasive lumbar puncture,” UTMB’s Dr. Peter Kan.

“We are honored to be recognized in this way and are committed to helping all populations of students access world-class educational programs and experiences,” Dr. Jochen Reiser said of UTMB being named among 50 institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of State as a 2024 Fulbright Hispanic-Serving Institution Leader.

Receiving an updated flu vaccine every season gives your immune system the best defense against the ever-changing flu virus, write Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp in their latest Vaccine Smarts column.