ew vaccines are being developed all the time, as witnessed by the COVID vaccines and the just released Prevnar 20 for prevention of pneumococcal pneumonia and a PCV 15 for kids. While it is a “one-and-done” vaccines, boosters are needed for other vaccines such as COVID. Dr. Victor S. Sierpina writes about it in his column.

At morning lectures, many students in the lecture hall have an energy drink in front of them. But a report that one young man may have developed heart failure from his habit of consuming an average of four energy drinks per day may cause concern. Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel discuss this case. Fill those water bottles.

“The first rule is making sure the boundaries are secure and hopefully fenced,” wrote Dr. Sally Robinson. “Children should be taught to stay within the boundaries and not to wander off, but children also need a responsible person to supervise outdoor play so they don’t get hurt. Always supervise children on trampolines and provide constant touch supervision around pools and other bodies of water.”

“Our concept of metastasis has changed over the years,” wrote Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their Medical Discovery News column. “Not long ago, doctors and scientists thought metastasis was a natural stage of the cancer that happened as tumors grew. Treatment relied on removing the primary tumor by surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.”

“As adults, if we allow ourselves, we might also wish to recapture such light joy to balance the heaviness of our daily stress and gloomy news reports,” wrote Dr. Victor S. Sierpina. Meditate this weekend by blowing bubbles.

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer before the age of 70, making it more common than all other cancers combined. That’s why regular visits with a dermatologist are vital.

In 5- to 11-year-olds, the booster more than doubles the antibody levels found after the second dose. Additionally, boosting has been shown in other age groups to further improve the antibodies so that they better bind the virus and provide more protection against variants. Drs. Megan Berman and Richard Rupp discuss this in the latest Vaccine Smarts column.

“Now after 50 years and an estimated $100 billion in funding, we can assess where we are and our progress toward this landmark goal of defeating cancer,” write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in Medical Discovery News. “One reminder — cancer is not a single disease but a collection of hundreds of diseases.”

Dr. Victor S. Sierpina sees patients who are using this centuries-old remedy for a broad variety of conditions, despite Texas’ prohibition against its use. “Like our endogenous endorphin system of opiate receptors, the endocannabinoid system is a network throughout our body in multiple organs and cells, which accounts for why cannabinoids impact so many conditions from pain, mood, insomnia, cancer, nausea, appetite and others.,” he writes. “Endocannabinoid deficiency is being considered as the cause for a range of poorly characterized and challenging diseases such depression, migraine, ADHD and irritable bowel syndrome.”

“Mental health problems have nothing to do with being lazy or weak,” writes Dr. Sally Robinson in her column. “Many people need help to get better. Treatment varies depending on the individual and could include medication, therapy or both. Studies show that people do get better and many recover completely.”