Southern Community Cohort Study

January 9, 2023

Novel lung cancer biomarker

Autoantibodies against the p53 tumor suppressor protein may be a novel biomarker for identifying people, especially African Americans, at high risk for lung cancer.

By Leigh MacMillan
August 1, 2022

H. pylori and lung cancer

Specific biomarkers for H. pylori — a bacterium that infects the stomach — were associated with increased risk of lung cancer, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.

By Leigh MacMillan
June 13, 2022

Study measures Alzheimer’s risk reductions associated with healthy lifestyles

Reported June 13 in Neurology, an Alzheimer’s disease risk study from Vanderbilt University Medical Center measures significantly reduced risk associated with healthy lifestyles, including non-smoking, leisure-time exercise, low-to-moderate alcohol consumption, adequate sleep and healthy diet.

By Paul Govern
February 14, 2022

Diet and colorectal cancer risk

Higher dietary intake of antioxidant compounds found in fruits, vegetables, teas and spices was associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, and intake was lower among Black participants, potentially contributing to colorectal cancer health disparities.

By Leigh MacMillan
December 13, 2021

Oral microbes and gastric cancer

Studies in three large population cohorts that include Asian, African American and European American people support a role for the oral microbiota — the collection of microbial species in the mouth — in gastric cancer development.

By Leigh MacMillan
October 21, 2021

Study to evaluate how environment impacts cancer risk

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center is leading an ambitious project to assess the impact of environmental exposures on cancer risk for people living in Southern states.

By Tom Wilemon
March 25, 2021

Spirituality may help reduce end-stage kidney disease risk

Researchers from Vanderbilt’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension have identified an under-studied characteristic that may have a protective effect on end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) risk among vulnerable populations.
By Emily Stembridge
January 6, 2020

Study links Medicaid expansion and recipients’ health status

In Southern states that expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, adults experienced lower rates of decline in both physical and mental health, according to research published this month in the journal Health Affairs.
By Jake Lowary
June 6, 2019

Mouth microbes and colorectal cancer

Microbial species in the mouth could be playing a role in colorectal cancer development, according to new research from epidemiologists at VUMC.
By Leigh MacMillan
January 18, 2018

Study finds higher death rates in poor neighborhoods

Living in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood is likely to lead to death at an earlier age, especially among African-Americans, new research shows. The death rate is even more pronounced among disadvantaged individuals with unhealthy lifestyle habits.
By VUMC News and Communications
March 8, 2017

Role for mouth microbes in diabetes?

A higher abundance of certain bacterial species in the mouth appears to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered.
By Leigh MacMillan
March 31, 2016

Cancer prevention and poverty

A new epidemiological study supports smoking cessation and avoidance of sedentary lifestyle as cancer prevention measures.
By Paul Govern
June 29, 2015

Healthy diet linked to lower death rates among low-income residents in Southeastern U.S.

A low-fat diet rich in plants, whole grains and seafood, and low in red and processed meats, sweets and sugary drinks was linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer or other diseases among a population of low-income, mostly African American individuals living in the Southeast.
By Craig Boerner
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