Study measures Alzheimer’s risk reductions associated with healthy lifestyles
June 17, 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.
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Study casts doubt on impact of menthol-flavored tobacco ban
April 22, 2022
A ban on the sale of menthol-flavored cigarettes that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is on track to implement may have unintended consequences, according to a study by researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center published April 21 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
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Bots Boost Liver Cancer Outcome
March 21, 2022
https://news.vumc.org/2022/03/10/bots-boost-liver-cancer-outcome/
Liver cancer, primarily hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the third most common contributor to cancer-related deaths worldwide.
Early-stage HCC has a better prognosis than advanced-stage HCC and can be treated with minimally invasive surgery, including robotic-assisted and laparoscopic options. However, few studies have examined the presumably unique and discrepant short-term and long-term outcomes of robotic-assisted and laparoscopic surgeries.
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Blood test figures in cancer risk for people with HIV
March 21, 2022
https://news.vumc.org/2022/03/17/blood-test-figures-in-cancer-risk-for-people-with-hiv/?_ga=2.9384565.1776389922.1647883988-1295041364.1636555369
In the clinical care of people living with HIV, various types of blood cells are routinely counted to assess the immune system, among them CD4+ cells, or T helper cells, and CD8+ cells, or cytotoxic T cells.
These types of white blood cells work together to clear infections and prevent and kill cancer cells. While a normal CD4/CD8 ratio is about 2:1, it’s typically lower in people with HIV.
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Diet and Colorectal Cancer Risk
February 23, 2022
https://news.vumc.org/2022/02/14/diet-colorectal-cancer-risk/
Polyphenols — antioxidants found in fruits, vegetables, teas and spices — have promising anti-cancer properties.
Study shows how a protein coding gene confers breast cancer susceptibility during DNA transcription
October 11, 2021
https://news.vumc.org/2021/09/30/study-shows-how-a-protein-coding-gene-confers-breast-cancer-susceptibility-during-dna-transcription/
New research from Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center provides insight into how genetic variants convey breast cancer susceptibility by altering the transcription factor proteins that convert DNA strands into RNA.
Fibroids and preterm birth
October 11, 2021
https://news.vumc.org/2021/09/30/fibroids-and-preterm-birth/
Uterine fibroids — muscular tumors that grow in the uterus — are inconsistently linked with preterm birth. Katherine Hartmann, MD, PhD, and colleagues sought to determine the association between fibroids and preterm birth by using ultrasounds early in pregnancy.
Spirituality may help reduce end-stage kidney disease risk
May 10, 2021
https://news.vumc.org/2021/03/25/spirituality-may-help-reduce-end-stage-kidney-disease-risk/
Researchers from Vanderbilt’s Division of Nephrology and Hypertension have identified an under-studied characteristic that may have a protective effect on end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) risk among vulnerable populations.
The study, led by Devika Nair, MD, MSCI, assistant professor of Medicine within the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, found that adults who self-identified as Black and reported high levels of spirituality had a statistically significant reduced risk for developing ESKD — independent of demographics, other psychosocial factors and lifestyle behaviors.
Study incorporates genetics with smoking history to identify high-risk smokers for lung cancer screening
March 9, 2021
https://news.vumc.org/2021/03/09/study-incorporates-genetics-with-smoking-history-to-identify-high-risk-smokers-for-lung-cancer-screening
A study by Vanderbilt researchers that analyzed both smoking history and genetic risk variants for lung cancer supports modifying current guidelines to include additional smokers for lung cancer screening.