Department of Medicine

April 12, 2018

Initiative stresses importance of advance directives

While many might prefer to not think about dying, healthcare professionals throughout the United States are encouraging patients and their families to do just that during a national awareness campaign April 16-22 that promotes the importance of completing an advance directive for healthcare.

By Jill Clendening

3d rendering white blood cells with red blood cells

April 10, 2018

Vanderbilt scientists test potential new way to treat anemia

Treatment of anemia caused by chronic kidney disease or other diseases often requires repeated — and costly — injections or infusions of an artificial form of the hormone erythropoietin (EPO), which stimulates production of red blood cells.

By Bill Snyder

April 5, 2018

Patient’s efforts help shine light on plasma cell disorder

Charlotte Haffner, Vanderbilt’s first patient to undergo a heart transplant followed by a stem cell transplant to treat a plasma cell disorder called primary AL amyloidosis, now she dedicates her time to raising awareness about the rare disease.

By Jessica Pasley

April 5, 2018

Report calls for greater awareness of rare cardiac disease

A national effort seeks to raise awareness about an uncommon cause of heart attacks in otherwise healthy, young and middle-aged women.

By Jessica Pasley

March 27, 2018

Alzheimer’s proteins in ICU survivors

The cognitive impairment that affects patients who survive a stay in the ICU does not appear to have a similar mechanism to Alzheimer’s disease, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Meredith Jackson

March 22, 2018

Grant bolsters study of potential new therapy for C. diff infection

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2011 in the United States there were almost half a million Clostridium difficile infections, and one in 11 patients 65 or older with a healthcare-associated C. diff infection died within 30 days of diagnosis.