UTMB News

In the U.S. there are close to 3 million infections by bacterial antimicrobial resistance resulting in almost 50,000 annual deaths, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column. The problem is that microbes are increasingly becoming resistant to current antibiotics and if things don’t change, AR microbial infections will become harder to treat.

Occupational therapy can be a valuable tool when dealing with migraines, says UTMB’s Dr. Sukanya Roy tells bezzy. “If you start noticing fewer migraine [episodes] or reduced severity and improvement in trigger management and daily function, it is a sign that OT is working,” Roy said.

The Galveston County Daily News society reporter was on hand for the UTMB Health President’s Cabinet Award Celebration & Member Appreciation Reception last month. During the rodeo themed event, the six newest programs supported by the President’s Cabinet were introduced.

Murine typhus, once largely eradicated in the U.S., is on the rise, warns the CDC. UTMB’s Dr. Lucas Blanton told Medpage he’s seen many cases of murine typhus and patients tell him the headaches associated can be "the worst of one's life." Blanton urged medical professionals to not delay treatment for patients suspected of having the disease.

Dr. Gregory Gray joined the Texas Standard to discuss the latest bird flu development – its jump to sheep in the UK. “Well, it’s odd in the sense that there’s been so many spillovers to new species, so the viruses have adapted characteristics that make that possible,” Gray said.

“We know that weight loss generally has a positive effect on testosterone levels and sexual function, and as it turned out, the data showed the exact opposite,” Dr. Joseph Sonstein told Australian Men’s Health. Sonstein was an author on a study that found that men who took semaglutide for weight loss, but not diabetes, were more likely to develop erectile dysfunction.

In his column, Dr. Samuel Mathis wrote about the health benefits of ginger. Along with calming the stomach, ginger also affects metabolism and glucose control, Mathis writes.

As part of its dedication to enhanced professionalism and law enforcement excellence in public safety and community relations, the University of Texas Medical Branch Police Department voluntarily became a Nationally Accredited Law Enforcement Agency through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2012.

New research has overturned the scientific belief that the brain is a sterile place devoid of microbes, write Drs. Norbert Herzog and David Niesel in their weekly Medical Discovery News column. Scientists now estimate that more than 170 different bacteria and viruses could be present in the brain.

According to a new study, people with colorectal cancer have a higher risk of dying from heart-related problems, which may be associated both with the cancer and cancer treatment. UTMB’s Dr. Salim Hayek was not involved in the study but told Everyday Health that it could be that a younger population faces a higher risk of death because early onset colorectal cancer is more aggressive, requiring more intensive treatment that impacts the heart.

Even low levels of daily physical activity can lead to significant improvements in fitness levels, social responsiveness, cognitive flexibility, and planning and organizing abilities in autistic adolescents, according to the latest research from UTMB’s Dr. Claudia Hilton. She discussed the findings with the GCDN.

The Galveston newspaper was on hand to capture the smiles, tears and excitement as UTMB’s fourth-year medical students, joined by family and friends, opened their Match Day letters at Levin Hall.

Where a person lives can influence their recovery from a traumatic brain injury, according to a new study by UTMB’s Dr. Monique Pappadis and a team of researchers. “The intricate relationship between healthcare access and community socioeconomic factors necessitates sophisticated strategies to increase equity,” the research team concluded.