UTMB News

  • A man cluctching his chest during a heart attack

    Heart attack mortality rate higher in the US compared to other high-income countries

    When it comes to treating heart attacks, U.S. hospitals may have the latest tech and low readmission rates, but the country’s mortality rate is one of the highest among the nations included in a new study. The study, published May 4 in The BMJ, found substantial differences in care for heart attack patients across six high income countries despite international agreement on how heart attacks should be treated.

  • We created the ‘pandemicene’

    Even under the most optimistic climate scenarios, the coming decades will see roughly 300,000 first encounters between species that normally don’t interact, leading to about 15,000 spillovers wherein viruses enter naive hosts. “It’s a little harrowing,” said Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch. The study suggests that the alarming pace at which new or reemergent viruses have caused outbreaks in recent decades is not some abnormal situation, Menachery said, “but what we should be expecting, maybe even with an acceleration.”

  • HBJ's 2022 Landmark Awards: Medical winner and finalists

    The Landmark Award winner in the medical category is the University of Texas Medical Branch League City campus expansion. UTMB's initial League City hospital opened in 2016, and its inpatient services and other service lines quickly reached capacity. The expansion gives the League City campus a total of 97 beds and was designed to support the growing mainland population over the next decade. The new five-story patient tower features several new departments and amenities, adding 60 new patient beds, lab spaces, new food service and dining, and an adjacent helipad. The tower also can support future vertical expansion of up to 12 floors and 360 beds. The first phase of the expansion also included a new parking garage and a pedestrian bridge.

  • What it takes to live to 100

    Drs. Victor S. Sierpina and Michelle Sierpina review three books on living a long and fulfilling life. Here’s some advice: “Keep moving; cut calories; eat more plants; drink red wine in moderation; purpose now — take time to see the big picture; take steps to relieve stress; participate in a spiritual community; loved ones first — make family a priority; and right tribe — surround yourself with Blue Zone-minded people.”

  • In Galveston, a new fridge is open to all

    The community refrigerator project was planned and executed by medical students at the University of Texas Medical Branch, who approached the church with the idea that was part of a project to battle food insecurity. “What better way is there to address food insecurity and prevent food waste,” said Nicole Michael, a fourth-year medical student at the medical branch. “There are a lot of resources to get people food, like the food bank and churches. The thing that’s different about this is the community sustainability piece of it.”

  • Galveston County-funded program has covered testing for 36K uninsured

    About 1 out of every 20 COVID-19 tests administered in Galveston County since the early days of the pandemic has been paid for through a county-funded program meant to help keep the tests easily accessible. Since Galveston County and the University of Texas Medical Branch began the local testing program in May 2020, more than 36,000 uninsured people have used the service, according to numbers released by the county.

  • Galveston scientists discover Zika mutation that could trigger a new outbreak

    A UTMB professor says the virus can be especially harmful to pregnant women since the infection can cause birth defects. Dr. Pei-Yong Shi, a professor at the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UTMB Galveston, says the virus is carried by the bite of infected mosquitoes. It can be especially harmful to pregnant women since the infection can cause certain birth defects. "That virus can infect the fetus's brain, leading to the baby born with a small head.” Austin-based KXAN also reported on UTMB’s research that found a single mutation in the Zika virus could lead to a “major outbreak.” The Indian news outlet Sakshi Post also reported this news.

  • Harmful partnerships: When someone you love is abusive

    The Australian news outlet story about intimate partner violence included quotes from Dr. Jeff Temple, an expert on teen dating violence at the University of Texas Medical Branch. “Practice is huge for when they get into that situation in real life,” Temple said. “What the research tells us is that kids who are able to resolve conflicts and manage their emotions are less likely to be in violent relationships later on.”

  • When to call your doctor in early pregnancy

    Women who have certain pre-existing medical conditions – such as thyroid disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and/or lupus – should note any changes in their condition during pregnancy. “If your thyroid hormone levels are too high or too low, you may be at increased risk of miscarriage,” says Dr. Gayle Olson, a maternal-fetal specialist at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. “If your blood sugar isn’t tightly controlled, you may be at increased risk of miscarriage or fetal abnormalities. Any flare-up in an underlying condition is a red flag and should be followed.” Several other international news outlets included this health story from WebMD.

  • Curiosity, creativity and courage make a better world

    “For those of you unfamiliar with Dr. Sir William Osler, he’s one of the most legendary figures in modern medicine, medical education, and the intersection of science and the humanities,” writes Dr. Victor S. Sierpina in his column. “His methods of clinical bedside teaching, the requirements for a college degree before medical school, two years of basic science followed by two clinical years as the core of medical school, and a progressive residency program were innovative, setting the standard for our current system of medical training over a century ago.”

  • Talking to your child about tragedy 101

    After any disaster or crisis parents can start to talk to their children by asking them what they’ve seen or heard, writes Dr. Sally Robinson in her column. No matter what age the child is, it’s better to be straightforward and direct. It’s suggested that it’s best to share basic information but not graphic or unnecessary details. Keeping young children away from the repetitive graphic images and sounds that appear on television, radio, social media and computers is strongly suggested. Perhaps it’s better to record the news and watch it later or with your older children so it can be stopped and discussed.

  • Blood transfer for better memory is on the horizon

    A few years ago, studies showed that transferring blood from young animals to older animals improved the older animals’ memory. In new research, scientists assessed whether blood plasma from active mice would lead to improvements in the brains of “couch potato” mice. In Medical Discovery News, Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel consider the possibilities. Remember where you read it.

  • Tongue-tie issues normally begin at birth

    Tongue-tie is a condition that’s present at birth that restricts the tongue’s range of motion. Dr. Sally Robinson explains the condition.

  • Body odor directs our behavior

    Body odor is usually a strange topic to talk about, but not for Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel. Some new scientific work identified a body odor chemical produced by babies’ skin that makes men less aggressive and women more aggressive. Let’s bottle this scent.

  • Therapy for Immunodeficiency Patients Shown to have anti-SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies

    Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch recently confirmed the presence of neutralizing antibodies to SARS--COV-2 in a common subcutaneous antibody therapy (Hizentra) used to treat immunocompromised or immunodeficient patients, citing its protective benefits to the immunocompromised patient community. The findings were recently published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

  • Zika warning as scientists discover simple mutation that could trigger new outbreak

    A single mutation in an already rapidly evolving Zika virus could trigger another major outbreak of the disease by evading existing immunity, scientists have warned. The Zika virus, which is carried by mosquitoes, is usually mild in adults, however it can infect a developing fetus resulting in birth defects. In severe cases, it can cause fatal brain damage in babies and miscarriage or stillbirth in pregnant women, and its spread in the Americas in 2015 and 2016 caused global alarm. Researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology co-led the study with a team from the University of Texas Medical Branch. BBC, Sky News and Salon reported the findings of the study published in Cell Reports. Also, ScienceDaily and many smaller international outlets reported the news and mentioned that Dr. Pei-Yong Shi at UTMB co-led the Cell Reports study.

  • Texas State senators join effort to save Melissa Lucio from execution

    Melissa Lucio, the South Texas woman convicted of killing her 2-year-old child Mariah in 2007, is set to die by lethal injection on April 27. Eighty-three state representatives recently wrote to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles asking that Lucio be granted a reprieve or clemency. “Doctors who recently reviewed the autopsy — including a leading specialist from The University of Texas Medical Branch — concluded that the jury heard false testimony about whether Mariah was abused,” the letter said.