News
New study led by Ray supports a common atrial fibrillation drug linked to higher bleeding risk
Apr. 30, 2024—Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an increasingly common and potentially life-threatening heart rhythm abnormality that is treated with a combination of drugs to slow and normalize the heart rhythm and anticoagulants to prevent formation of blood clots. The calcium channel blocker diltiazem, sold under the brand name Cardizem among others, is a drug commonly used to slow the heart rate and reduce arrhythmia...
Diamond supports Smart Heart Act, a new legislation requiring that automated external defibrillators be available in Tennessee schools for cardiac-related medical emergencies
Apr. 29, 2024—New legislation requiring that automated external defibrillators (AED) be located within 1,000 feet of any high school athletic activity in Tennessee is a win-win for a team of physicians at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. The Smart Heart Act, a sudden cardiac arrest prevention law, establishes various requirements for AEDs in schools serving grades 9-12...
Schaffner advocates for decennial TDap vaccinations as means to counteract increased whooping cough cases around the world
Apr. 26, 2024—Whooping cough outbreaks in Europe, Asia and parts of the U.S. should be a reminder to get vaccinated, experts say. Since January, cases of whooping cough have risen sharply in the U.K. and Europe, the largest surge since 2012. China logged more than 15,000 cases in January of this year, a 15-fold increase over the same time period last year. This...
Vanderbilt biostatisticians continue to revolutionize pragmatic clinical trials, says Self
Apr. 25, 2024—Progress across biomedicine and health is attended by a series of well-knit statistical inferences. Statistical inference tells you whether that obscure human trait that has seized your imagination is apt to be a blind alley or a useful (and publishable) biomarker of disease risk. It estimates how many willing patients you’ll need to test your...
Ajayi amongst recipients of Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award for promotion of women’s goals and gender equity
Apr. 24, 2024—This spring, the Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center named five people from the Vanderbilt community as recipients of its annual awards. The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center Leadership Award honors an undergraduate or graduate student who demonstrates leadership in activities that contribute to the achievements, interests and goals of women or that promote gender equity. This year, two students...
Intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment likely not associated with increased diabetes, but may be associated with elevated blood sugar, says Roumie
Apr. 23, 2024—Intensive systolic blood pressure (SBP) treatment is likely not associated with increased diabetes, but may be associated with more impaired fasting glucose, according to new findings published in Hypertension. Researchers arrived at their conclusion in a new analysis of data from The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). In the present analysis, the researchers compared the impact of...
Horst discusses value of patient-provider relationship in the management of inflammatory bowel disease
Apr. 22, 2024—Dr. Horst, from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses the importance of establishing a good patient-provider relationship in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) when a patient is hesitant to start therapy. “Every patient has different needs, but communication always plays a key role in treatment settings. When I connect with patients with IBD, I...
Rise in U.S. measles cases attributable to parents delaying and withholding routine MMR vaccines, says Schaffner
Apr. 18, 2024—Nearly a third of all U.S. measles cases in the past four years happened during a three-month stretch in 2024, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rise in measles, a highly infectious virus, is troubling, experts warned. Officials attribute it to the drop in the U.S. vaccination rate for the deadly...
Dusetzina unpacks variance of insulin costs for Medicare Part-D beneficiaries
Apr. 16, 2024—The cost of insulin in the United States has risen considerably in recent years, with some estimates finding that Americans have paid around 10 times more for the drug than people in other developed countries. But recent changes by the government and drug manufacturers have started to drive insulin prices down, something President Joe Biden often mentions...
Aliyu discusses future of Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health
Apr. 15, 2024—Muktar Aliyu, MD, DrPH, MPH, is director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Global Health (VIGH) and professor of Health Policy and Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He holds the Endowed Directorship in Global Health. VIGH facilitates the expansion and coordination of global health research, technical assistance and training initiatives at VUMC. What do you see as...
Horst introduces billable asynchronous eVisits as a care option at VUMC to facilitate telehealth communication efforts
Apr. 11, 2024—New program establishes eVisit protocol using asynchronous messaging that may address the concern or lead to a more in-depth telehealth or in-person appointment. Health care delivery and communications with patients through online portals has grown immensely in recent years — and in some ways has increased the complexity of interactions between clinicians and patients. To...
Talbot appointed as chair to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for the CDC
Apr. 10, 2024—Infectious diseases researcher H. Keipp Talbot, MD, MPH, has been appointed chair of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP advises the CDC on adult and childhood immunization, including the age when a vaccine should be given, the number of doses needed, the amount of...
Schaffner weighs in on rise of bacterial meningitis cases
Apr. 8, 2024—An increase in cases of bacterial meningococcal disease has prompted federal health officials to issue a health alert, warning healthcare providers in the United States to be on the lookout for people with symptoms of the rare but potentially fatal illness. Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 143 people in...
Gun manufacturers can’t avoid responsibility for their role in gun violence, says Rogers
Apr. 3, 2024—Do corporations have a responsibility to society if their products are being misused and causing extreme harm? We have faced this question before. In 1965, activist Ralph Nader wrote a book critiquing the auto industry’s safety record. In response, Congress passed a law that led to major improvements in car safety. Today, the same question...
NIH selects Dr. Kathleen Neuzil as director of the Fogarty International Center and NIH associate director for international research
Apr. 2, 2024—National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., has named Kathleen M. Neuzil, M.D., as the 13th director of the Fogarty International Center (FIC) and NIH associate director for international research. Dr. Neuzil will be the first woman to hold the permanent FIC directorship since the center’s founding in 1968. She is currently...