Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States. Many factors can lead to a heart attack. A high fat diet, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking can all increase your risk of a heart attack. Family history may also play a part. Scientists found that certain Read more
Pancreatitis is when your pancreas becomes swollen and tender. Your pancreas is a long, flat gland found behind the stomach. It makes hormones that help control how your body breaks down sugar. It also makes proteins that help you digest food. These proteins travel to the small intestine where they Read more
Chronic sinus inflammation affects 10-15% of adults in the United States. Sinuses are open pockets in your skull around the eyes and behind the nose. When these become blocked, or too much mucus builds up, it can cause swelling. This is a sinus infection. Other symptoms include headaches, runny nose, Read more
Hypertension means high blood pressure. High blood pressure is when pressure in your arteries stays higher than it should. Arteries carry oxygen-rich blood to the body. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a special type of high blood pressure. This type affects the arteries in your lungs (pulmonary arteries) as well Read more
The flight-or-fight response is how our body reacts to a possible threat. Blood goes to our muscles, we get a burst of energy, and our pupils get bigger. First, our body dumps adrenaline into our blood stream. Adrenaline then binds to specific proteins. These proteins start the flight-or-fight response. The Read more
Precision medicine uses all possible information to make the best medical decisions. This includes genetics, lab tests, images, and talks with your doctor. The goal is to improve care, lower costs, and reduce any side effects. Doctors and researchers can enter genetic information into secure online databases. This can help Read more
A gene family is a group of genes that make similar proteins. These proteins often do similar jobs in the cell. Vanderbilt scientists are studying one specific family of genes. This family is special, because it may help fight viral infections. HIV is a virus that causes AIDS if left Read more
A fever is a higher than normal body temperature. It is usually a sign that something is not right. Infections can cause fevers. But many other things can also cause fevers. Some of these are injuries, drugs, poisons, diseases, and even cancer. Different people respond in different ways to fevers. Read more
People have many differences, or “variants,” in their genes. Some variants may affect whether a person gets a certain disease. A PheWAS is a type of study done to look for these variants. We first find people with specific variants. We then see what diseases or conditions these people have. Read more
People can develop addiction to both drug and alcohol. This is a major public health problem in the U.S. About 1 in 10 Americans need treatment for drug or alcohol problems. Only 1 in 100 people get help. But, addiction is very strong, and many people relapse, or go back Read more