Division of Epidemiology Archives
Colon cancer researchers awarded NCI grant for study of early lesions
Sep. 22, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers are studying precancerous lesions and early cancers in the colon, with the goal of developing new ways to prevent colorectal cancer, the nation’s second leading cancer killer.
H. pylori and lung cancer
Aug. 1, 2022—Specific biomarkers for H. pylori — a bacterium that infects the stomach — were associated with increased risk of lung cancer, Vanderbilt researchers have discovered.
Ginseng intake and mortality
Jun. 20, 2022—Regular ginseng intake, particularly over a long duration, is associated with decreased risk of death from all causes, Vanderbilt researchers discovered in a large epidemiological study.
Study measures Alzheimer’s risk reductions associated with healthy lifestyles
Jun. 13, 2022—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.
There’s no slowing arterial stiffening
Mar. 29, 2022—Over 10 years, multiple healthy behaviors did not slow the progression of arterial stiffness, a risk factor for coronary artery disease, hypertension, stroke, atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
High blood pressure genes improve heart surgery survival in children
Mar. 24, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers have found that children with a genetic makeup that predicts high blood pressure as adults are more likely to survive congenital heart defect repair surgery.
Bots boost liver cancer outcome
Mar. 10, 2022—Vanderbilt researchers report that robotic-assisted surgery is comparable, if not superior, to laparoscopic surgery for early-stage liver cancer patients.
Diet and colorectal cancer risk
Feb. 14, 2022—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.
Oral microbes and gastric cancer
Dec. 13, 2021—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.
Breast cancer survivors: eat nuts
Nov. 1, 2021—Breast cancer survivors who reported eating nuts regularly had 50% reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence, metastasis or mortality, Vanderbilt epidemiologists found in Shanghai Breast Cancer Survival Study.
Tea drinking and high blood pressure
Oct. 14, 2021—Habitual tea drinking is associated with a slightly higher risk of hypertension in middle-aged and older Chinese adults, which warrants confirmation by long-term intervention studies, researchers say.
Structural variants in breast cancer risk genes
Sep. 16, 2021—Vanderbilt epidemiologists conducted in-depth whole genome sequencing of breast cancer risk genes in Black women, who die at higher rates and have more aggressive disease, to discover mutations that may improve testing and treatment selection.
