Can drinking on a long flight hurt your heart health? Are summer colds really worse than winter colds? Why is there more syphilis in Tennessee? And other news stories with VUMC sources

A novel astrocyte cell in the retina: study

A full understanding of retinal cell types and their functions could point to novel therapeutic targets for diseases that affect the visual system, such as glaucoma — a leading cause of blindness for people over age 60.

It’s been 16 years since sweet-spot brain stimulation slowed Parkinson’s progression for Hermitage man

In 2008 at VUMC there were a group of doctors trying something unheard of on a handful of patients who signed up for their study. Half would receive deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery in attempt to slow the progression of their early-stage Parkinson’s disease, and the others would not.

Grant funds research for therapies to prevent stomach cancer

The funds will help launch a clinical trial in the U.S. with one of the therapies and compare it with another therapy from an ongoing clinical trial in Japan.

Research raises hope for treating potentially lethal blood condition

Roughly 1 in 10 people over age 70 will develop CHIP, an explosive, clonal growth of abnormal blood cells that increases risk of blood cancers and death from cardiovascular, lung and liver disease.

A caring program

John Henderson has been to the VUMC Emergency Department numerous times over the past several years but was discharged Monday with a new treatment plan, SSDI income, outpatient advocate, cell phone and supportive housing.