Department of Medicine

February 5, 2021

Convalescent plasma improved survival in COVID-19 patients with blood cancers

Treatment with convalescent plasma vastly improved the survival rate of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 who also had hematologic malignances that compromise the immune system, according to new data released by the COVID-19 and Cancer Consortium (CCC19).

By Tom Wilemon
February 4, 2021

New clue to postural tachycardia

Insight into the pathophysiology of an enigmatic and debilitating disease suggests new treatment approaches.

By Bill Snyder
A new medical device called the Zephyr Valve offers a minimally invasive alternative to lung surgery for emphysema patients.
February 4, 2021

Device offers less invasive option to treat emphysema

Life with emphysema, a lung condition that causes shortness of breath, can be miserable. People with advanced emphysema, a form of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are so short of breath they may need supplemental oxygen just to walk from room to room. They often have trouble with everyday tasks like bathing or cooking a meal.

By Nancy Humphrey
Jennifer Pilat, left, Sarah Short, PhD, Christopher Williams, MD, PhD, and colleagues are studying a biomarker for assessing disease severity and cancer risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.
February 4, 2021

Potential biomarker for IBD severity, cancer risk identified

A selenium transport protein produced in the colon may be a novel biomarker for assessing disease severity and cancer risk in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

By Leigh MacMillan
January 27, 2021

Study shows healthy diet is associated with diverse and health-promoting microbiome

Scientists are just beginning to understand the impact of diet on the gut microbiome and how this interaction affects human health, but baselines must first be established to yield answers.

By Tom Wilemon
Cholesterol
January 21, 2021

NIH grant bolsters research on heart disease, cholesterol

Thanks to major funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have made major inroads in understanding how high-density lipoprotein (HDL), commonly known as good cholesterol, in some cases may actually contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.

By Bill Snyder
January 21, 2021

Study finds genetic clues to pneumonia risk and COVID-19 disparities

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and colleagues have identified genetic factors that increase the risk for developing pneumonia and its severe, life-threatening consequences.
By Bill Snyder
January 14, 2021

Residents, fellows step up to help care for COVID patients

Following a Thanksgiving surge that led to record numbers of admissions of patients with COVID-19, residents and fellows from multiple disciplines have come together under the direction and supervision of critical care attendings to provide the best care to critically ill patients in Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit.
By Nancy Humphrey
January 12, 2021

VUMC now leads world in heart transplantation

Vanderbilt University Medical Center performed more heart transplants in 2020 than any other center in the world — 124 adult hearts, 23 pediatric hearts and VUMC’s first heart-lung transplant since 2006.
By Matt Batcheldor
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 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

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
1 … 51 52 53 54 55 … 117