Members of Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute (VHVI) gathered for a photo last week to recognize National Wear Red Day.

Higher concentrations of high-density lipoproteins — HDL, the “good” cholesterol — may be protective against acute kidney injury after cardiac surgery, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

The optimal “dose” for behavioral interventions to treat childhood obesity are not clear, Vanderbilt researchers concluded after analyzing 133 clinical trial that occurred over the course of 17 years.

To develop strategies for preventing radiation-induced lung fibrosis (scarring), Vanderbilt investigators are exploring the cell types and factors that contribute to the fibrotic response.

Vanderbilt researchers have identified a pathway that links excess sodium, inflammation and hypertension.

Based on findings from Vanderbilt investigators and others, clinical trials of estrogen inhibition for pulmonary arterial hypertension have recently been approved and funded by the National Institutes of Health.

The identification of a genetic culprit for hypoplastic left heart syndrome could lead to new treatments for the condition.