Author: Craig Boerner
VUMC, NIH launch clinical trial to test novel therapies to protect host tissue against COVID-19
Jul. 26, 2021—Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are leading a nationwide clinical trial to explore the safety and effectiveness of a group of novel drugs designed to protect patients hospitalized with COVID-19 at high risk of poor outcomes.
COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in cigarette smoking: study
Jun. 9, 2021—Smokers who believed they were at increased risk of getting COVID-19 during the pandemic, or having a more severe case, were more likely to quit while those whoperceived more stress increased smoking, according to new research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.
Type 2 diabetes medication shown to benefit asthma patients
May. 20, 2021—Type 2 diabetes patients who also have asthma are benefitting from a diabetes medication, typically given to help the pancreas produce more insulin, that also improves asthma symptoms and may reduce lung and airway inflammation.
Heparin, platelets discouraged as treatment for blood clots after COVID vaccine
May. 12, 2021—Heparin and platelets are discouraged as treatment for patients who develop blood clots in the brain and low platelet counts 6-15 days after receiving Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen COVID-19 vaccine, following a clinical investigation review of 12 U.S. cases conducted by the CDC and institutions including Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Preterm births in Tennessee decreased during pandemic
Mar. 15, 2021—Statewide stay-at-home orders put in place as Tennessee fought to control the spread of coronavirus last March were associated with a 14% lower rate of preterm birth, according to a research letter published today in JAMA Pediatrics.
Stimulation device helps patients with bladder disorders reprogram
Mar. 8, 2021—A neurostimulator surgically implanted above the buttocks to reprogram how the bladder senses the filling of urine is helping patients with debilitating bladder and bowel disorders that are often life-limiting.
Study shows drastic increases in opioid-affected births
Jan. 12, 2021—The rate of mothers who had an opioid-related diagnosis when delivering their baby increased by 131% from 2010-2017, as the incidence of babies diagnosed with drug withdrawal, known as neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), increased by 82% nationally during that same time period.
Autism theory 25 years in the making
Jan. 8, 2021—A unifying explanation of the cause of autism and the reason for its rising prevalence has eluded scientists for decades, but a theoretical model published in the journal Medical Hypotheses describes the cause as a combination of socially valued traits, common in autism, and any number of co-occurring disabilities.
Statins to be studied for prevention of dementia, disability and heart disease
Nov. 17, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) researchers are enrolling adults aged 75 and over to study whether taking atorvastatin, a drug commonly used to lower cholesterol also called Lipitor®, can help maintain health by preventing dementia, disability, and heart disease.
Younger parents less likely to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19
Nov. 16, 2020—Younger parents were much less likely than older parents to say they planned to vaccinate their children and themselves against COVID-19.
Study finds patients’ access to opioid treatment cumbersome
Aug. 14, 2020—Women are having a difficult time getting into treatment for opioid addictions, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published today in JAMA Open.
Post-surgical bleeding associated with more deaths when compared to blood clots after surgery
Jul. 20, 2020—Post-surgical bleeding is associated with more deaths than blood clots from surgery, according to a Vanderbilt University Medical Center study published in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia.
