Reporter Jan 8 2021

doctor checking patient's blood pressure
January 12, 2021

Mitochondrial stress and hypertension

Oxidative stress and toxic products called isolevuglandins in mitochondria play a role in endothelial dysfunction and hypertension — and getting rid of them with a special “scavenger” molecule has therapeutic potential.

By Leigh MacMillan
January 11, 2021

Microbial RNA and rheumatoid arthritis

Small RNAs — short stretches of genetic material — from microbes may be playing a role in rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases.

By Leigh MacMillan
January 8, 2021

Large study finds higher burden of acute brain dysfunction for COVID-19 ICU patients

COVID-19 patients admitted to intensive care in the early months of the pandemic were subject to a significantly higher burden of delirium and coma than is typically found in patients with acute respiratory failure. Choice of sedative medications and curbs on family visitation played a role in increasing acute brain dysfunction for these patients.

By Paul Govern
January 8, 2021

VUMC mourns loss of otolaryngologist and surgeon Ries

William Russell Ries, MD, professor of Otolaryngology and Carol and John S. Odess Professor of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Otolaryngology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, died Jan. 5. He was 67.

By Jill Clendening
January 8, 2021

Autism theory 25 years in the making

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.

By Craig Boerner
January 7, 2021

Vitamin D activation and cancer risk

Vitamin D protection against colon cancer varies according to parathyroid hormone response, particularly among women.

By Paul Govern
January 7, 2021

Building a cohort, the easy way

An automated system using keyword searches can help identify candidates for clinical trials on adverse drug reactions.
By Paul Govern
January 7, 2021

Freedman named director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine

Jane Freedman, MD, will join Vanderbilt University Medical Center as director of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and the physician-in-chief of the Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, effective Aug. 1.
By Matt Batcheldor
January 7, 2021

Naslund to step down as head of Vascular Surgery; division to become department

Thomas Naslund, MD, professor of Surgery, will be stepping down as chief of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s division of Vascular Surgery, a role he has performed adeptly for 21 years.
By Jill Clendening
January 7, 2021

Functional seizures associated with stroke, psychiatric disorders in electronic health records study

In a large-scale study of electronic health records, Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators have determined the prevalence of functional seizures and characterized comorbidities associated with them.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 7, 2021

VA adopts enhanced recovery for total knee, total hip patients

For patients receiving total knee or total hip replacements at the Nashville VA Medical Center, the use of opioids for inpatient pain management and the total time patients spent in the hospital were both greatly reduced following the January 2016 adoption of sweeping quality improvement measures.
By Paul Govern
January 7, 2021

Foster receives service award from pharmacists association

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) has awarded Nichole Foster, MBA, MEd, CPhT, director of Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Pharmacy Technicians Training Program, with a Distinguished Service Award.
By Emily Stembridge
January 6, 2021

Genome editing technique “rescues” mice from accelerated aging disorder: study

Researchers from the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the first time have used a novel genome-editing technique to “rescue” mice from progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes accelerated aging.
By Bill Snyder
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