Genetics of a lung disorder

Acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, is a lung disorder. It can occur in people who have a major infection or injuries. A bad case of pneumonia or a serious bloodstream infection are examples. Breathing chemical fumes or smoke from a fire can also cause ARDS. Accidents, like a bad fall or car crash can lead to ARDS. ARDS is when fluid builds up in the air sacs in your lungs. This makes it hard to get enough air. When you do not have enough air, less oxygen reaches your organs. People who get ARDS may not survive. Of those that do, some will be fine. Others may have long term damage to their lungs. We have no approved drugs to treat ARDS. And we do not have a way to help those at risk. Your age, health, and other factors play a role in who will get ARDS. Scientists think that genetics may also play a part. We are all born with some gene changes. They are what makes us unique. But they may also raise our risk for certain diseases. Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center want to study ARDS. They will use BioVU to find patients who were at risk for ARDS. They will compare the genes of patients who got ARDS to those that did not. The goal is to find gene changes that may raise your risk for getting ARDS. Their results may help us find a new drug to treat ARDS. They may also help us find out who may be at higher risk for getting ARDS.