Ranjan* a 55-year-old first-generation immigrant to the United States lives in Texas. Last year, his wife, Usha* (54) was injured in an automobile accident that damaged her spine causing paraplegia. Even after rehabilitation Usha is still unable to use her lower limbs and is wheelchair-bound. She is dependent on Ranjan for her daily living activities. The couple do not have any children.

A recent news story in the media claimed that frequent coffee drinkers may be risking their hearts. Is that true? Is caffeine, the active ingredient in coffee, injurious to health? What is the current evidence regarding caffeine on health? We examine some of these questions closely.

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.

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.

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.