Southern Community Cohort Study

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. Read More

Higher dietary intake of antioxidant compounds found in fruits, vegetables, teas and spices was associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, and intake was lower among Black participants, potentially contributing to colorectal cancer health disparities. Read More

Studies in three large population cohorts that include Asian, African American and European American people support a role for the oral microbiota — the collection of microbial species in the mouth — in gastric cancer development. Read More

Microbial species in the mouth could be playing a role in colorectal cancer development, according to new research from epidemiologists at VUMC. Read More

Living in an economically disadvantaged neighborhood is likely to lead to death at an earlier age, especially among African-Americans, new research shows. The death rate is even more pronounced among disadvantaged individuals with unhealthy lifestyle habits. Read More

A higher abundance of certain bacterial species in the mouth appears to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, Vanderbilt investigators have discovered. Read More

A new epidemiological study supports smoking cessation and avoidance of sedentary lifestyle as cancer prevention measures. Read More

A low-fat diet rich in plants, whole grains and seafood, and low in red and processed meats, sweets and sugary drinks was linked with a lower risk of dying from heart disease, stroke, cancer or other diseases among a population of low-income, mostly African American individuals living in the Southeast. Read More

Vanderbilt researchers have found that selenium deficiency may contribute to the racial disparity in lung cancer incidence. Read More

Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that infects half of the world’s population and increases the risk for stomach cancer, appears to impair nutrient absorption. Read More

People who smoke mentholated cigarettes are no more likely to develop lung cancer or die from the disease than are smokers of non-mentholated brands, a new study shows. Read More