NIH-funded trial to determine if immunomodulation can improve brain and cardiovascular dysfunction in Long COVID

  Vanderbilt University Medical Center is working with scientists around the U.S. to launch the first phase 3, multicenter, placebo-controlled trial to determine the effect of immunomodulation on Long COVID (LC), also known as long-haul COVID or post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. The study is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging. Shown here are members of the...

2023 Obituaries: A Host of Consequential, and Very Long, Lives Lost

Life expectancy averages may be falling, but you might not have been able to tell that from reading the obituaries this year. NYT > Obituaries

‘It’s going to be bloody’: Why Israel’s long war ahead will be nothing like what it’s faced before

Prolonged urban combat will bring a slew of deadly challenges for the IDF – and likely some key advantages for Hamas, military analysts say. International: Top News And Analysis

Scientists Offer a New Explanation for Long Covid

In some patients, remnants of the coronavirus in the gut may stifle production of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter, researchers suggest. NYT > Health

Long Covid Poses Special Challenges for Seniors

Older people are less likely to be diagnosed but more likely to experience certain kinds of illnesses, research suggests. NYT > Health

Virtual support group helps people with Long COVID

Kate Whitley is participating in a free virtual support group at VUMC for those with Long COVID. (photo by Donn Jones) by Nancy Humphrey Kate Whitley, mother of a 6-year-old daughter, was active in her church and community and led a bustling business designing faith-based products sold in 300 retail stores throughout the country. “I’m what they call a type A go-getter. I’m an entrepreneur and...

Link Between Long Telomeres and Long Life Is a Tall Tale, Study Finds

The longer a person’s telomeres, researchers found, the greater the risk of cancer and other disorders, challenging a popular hypothesis about the chromosomal roots of vitality. NYT > Health

Operating in darkness: The doctors’ long road from Ukraine to Nashville

This is the first in a three-part series detailing the journey of a group of Ukrainian doctors attempting to launch an organ transplant program at their hospital in Kiev during the middle of the war with Russia. The doctors spent months in the U.S., including almost a week in Nashville, learning from some of the top surgeons in the country. Nashville Business News – Local Nashville News | The...

House passes sweeping gun bill to raise assault rifle purchase age to 21; plan faces long odds in the Senate

The House passed a sweeping gun bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle to 21, but it faces long odds in the Senate. U.S. News

Biden says U.S. has ‘long way to go and a lot could still go wrong’ in Afghanistan evacuation

The Biden administration is facing criticism of its handling of the overall U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. U.S. News

Black Friday shopping: Nashville’s Opry Mills sees long lines for deep discounts

Nashville’s Opry Mills mall was packed Thanksgiving night, but several hours into Black Friday’s early opening, there were long lines at stores.         GANNETT Syndication Service