In Eastern philosophy, all entities in nature, including human beings, are made of three qualities or gunas: rajas (passion, activity, change, creation), sattva (goodness, harmony, purity, preservation), and tamas (darkness, chaos, inertia, destruction). In an apple tree, there are three kinds of fruits that denote these three gunas: there are ripening fruits (rajas), there are ripe fruits (sattva) and there are overripe fruits (tamas). In human beings, also there are people full of passion and energy (domination of rajas), people in harmony and purity (domination of sattva) and people who are lazy and full of inertia (domination of tamas).

Mpox (previously known as monkeypox but later determined to be a misnomer) is a serious disease that has recently been causing concern around the world. What is Mpox? It is an infectious viral disease that can exhibit mild symptoms but can also become fatal. The typical symptoms are rash all over the body (like chicken pox showing small bumps), fever with chills, headache, body ache, swollen lymph nodes, and general malaise.

We all need some pointers for introspection in our spiritual journey. Here I present ten sutras or pointers for a positive spiritual life.

Arman* is a first-generation immigrant to the United States and resides in the Chicago area. He is a 32-year-old computer engineer with 5 years of experience in the IT sector. He is single and owns a three-bedroom home in a suburb of Chicago that he mortgaged last year. Last year, he also took up a job with a new company that offered a much higher salary than his previous company. However, the new job requires him to work much longer hours than he has done before.

A recent change suggested by the Endocrine Society calls for stopping routine checks for Vitamin D and limiting Vitamin D supplementation beyond the recommended levels only to high-risk groups. These guidelines have recently been published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. These recommendations have sparked controversy in medical circles. Some support these guidelines while others oppose it.

Ultra-processed foods are gaining in popularity all over the world, particularly in North America. Some estimates show the North American diet consists of more than half of the calories in the form of ultra-processed foods.  What are they?  Ultra-processed foods have been created to replace fresh meals through a series of industrial processes such as hydrolysis, hydrogenation, extrusion, molding, milling, frying, the addition of flavors, the supplementation of emulsifiers, and the add-on of coloring agents.

Patanjali (200 BC), a saint has explained the eight steps of yoga or Ashtanga yoga. The eight steps refer to one’s societal behavior, physical training, and psychic preparation. The eight steps of Ashtanga yoga are (1) Yama, (2) Niyama, (3) Asana, (4) Pranayama, (5) Pratyahara, (6) Dharana, (7) Dhyana, and (8) Samadhi. The first four steps are often called bahirmukhi yoga (or outward yoga) and the last four are antarmukhi yoga (or inward yoga).

Fatima* (name changed upon request) and Salman* are new immigrants to the United States. They have a son Idris, in fourth grade, who is having a difficult time in school. His teacher, during the parent-teacher meeting, pointed out that he has difficulty reading aloud, has slow belabored reading, is poor with spelling, and is finding it hard to learn in school.

Depression, which is characterized by sustained deep feelings of sadness and melancholy, and bipolar disorder which is marked by mood swings between extreme elation and severe depression are two distinct but serious causes of disability. Both require correct diagnosis and distinct treatments. Bipolar illness usually starts in the early 20s but on average takes 8-10 years, often longer, for a correct diagnosis. Needless to say, this delay prolongs the agony of the patient and increases the negative sequelae for the patient and their families. Depression usually starts in adulthood but can occur at any age.

By 2030, the U.S. population of LGBTQ+ adults over age 50 is expected to reach 7 million. As this community grows, the need to address housing disparities in our state becomes more evident. Elders who live in urban areas, such as Las Vegas, face significant housing challenges due to lack of affordable options, fear of discrimination, social isolation, and socioeconomic and health disparities.

A recent review published by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) compared the updated blood pressure guidelines from the European Society of Hypertension (ESH). The chief difference between the criteria for the cutoff for hypertension in the US was ≥130/80 while in Europe was ≥140/90 mmHg. The guidelines in India are also akin to the European guidelines.  This has caused some confusion.

From a full-time MBBS doctor in India to a celebrated author and public health expert in American academia, Professor (Dr) Manoj Sharma's journey is remarkable. A distinguished graduate faculty member at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was recently nominated by his students and received the prestigious Harry Reid Silver Slate Award 2024 for outstanding public health research.