Research

Younger patients with atrial fibrillation who had rare genetic variants associated with inherited cardiomyopathy and arrythmia syndromes were associated with a significantly higher rate of death than those without the variants, a Vanderbilt-led study has shown.

Research that began at Vanderbilt University Medical Center has found evidence that a viral infection followed by a “robust” immune response is the cause of a polio-like paralyzing illness in children called acute flaccid myelitis (AFM).

Children with complex chronic conditions who live in low opportunity areas utilize more acute care and could benefit from hospital- and community-based interventions aimed at improving child health outcomes.

The macrostructure — volume, area and length — of the brain’s white matter is useful for studying aging and could be a sensitive marker for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Vanderbilt researchers reported.

More than a third of patients presenting at the emergency department with a suspected heart attack have a “delayed” ECG measure of heart function, with Black patients, females and non-English speakers more likely to experience delays.

Using imaging mass spectrometry and microscopy, Vanderbilt researchers visualized how staph bacteria modifies lipids in its membrane to evade immune system-mediated killing.