heart disease Archives

Mariana Byndloss, DVM, PhD, Woongjae Yoo, PhD, and colleagues are studying how a high-fat diet may contribute to heart disease. (Photo taken prior to revised masking guidelines.)

Study reveals missing link between high-fat diet, microbiota and heart disease

Aug. 12, 2021—A high-fat diet disrupts the biology of the gut’s inner lining and its microbial communities — and promotes the production of a metabolite that may contribute to heart disease, according to a study published Aug. 13 in the journal Science.

From left, MacRae Linton, MD, Huan Tao, MD, PhD, Jonathan Brown, MD, and colleagues have discovered a potential new target for preventing atherosclerosis.

Nature’s “recycler” could reduce heart disease risk: study

Jul. 8, 2021—Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified potential new targets for the prevention of atherosclerosis through the enhancement of autophagy, a natural process for recycling damaged cellular material.

VUMC is pacesetter for national aspirin study

May. 20, 2021—According to an innovative large-scale clinical trial reported last week in the New England Journal of Medicine, a single daily baby aspirin (81 mg) or a single daily adult aspirin (325 mg) are equally safe and effective for prevention of adverse cardiovascular events for patients with established atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

NIH grant bolsters research on heart disease, cholesterol

Jan. 21, 2021—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.

Statins to be studied for prevention of dementia, disability and heart disease

Nov. 17, 2020—Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) researchers are enrolling adults aged 75 and over to study whether taking atorvastatin, a drug commonly used to lower cholesterol also called Lipitor®, can help maintain health by preventing dementia, disability, and heart disease.

All-in-one pill helps reduce blood pressure, cholesterol

Sep. 19, 2019—A single pill containing low doses of three medications to treat high blood pressure and one to lower cholesterol reduced the estimated risk of cardiovascular disease by 25%, according to a VUMC study.

Cell-cell signals in developing heart

Jun. 10, 2019—Scott Baldwin and colleagues have discovered early signaling events during heart development, findings that could guide cell replacement therapies for heart disease.

Blueprint for rebuilding the heart

May. 9, 2019—Young-Jae Nam and colleagues are discovering how to express specific factors in connective tissue cells to turn them into heart muscle cells.

More congenital heart patients becoming transplant candidates

May. 2, 2019—Patients with a form of congenital heart disease — having only one ventricle (pumping chamber) — are now living longer lives due to the successful surgical and medical treatments they receive as children.

Harvard’s Christine Seidman to receive 2019 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science

Apr. 15, 2019—Christine Seidman, MD, whose lab has identified the genetic causes of several human heart diseases including cardiomyopathy (potentially fatal enlargement of the heart) is the recipient of the 2019 Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science, officials at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) announced today.