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What We’re Reading: 09/06/19

A few highlights from around the web that made it into our feeds this week.

Here’s How a Single Session of Vaping Can Hurt Your Lungs

Doctors have been sounding the alarm over potentially serious health consequences of vaping. New research showed that e-cigarettes may pose a risk to vascular functions and the lining of blood vessels in young, healthy nonsmokers, even if the liquid they vape doesn’t contain nicotine. And long-term use may lead to permanent vascular damage. 

“If the blood flow is decreasing, so is the flow of oxygen,” said Dr. Lori Shah, transplant pulmonologist at Columbia. “When blood flow to the brain is decreased, it can impact attention, focus, and the ability to learn, and that can have a variety of impacts on middle school and high school children.” (From healthline.com)

Children with rare genetic disease find comfort in this first-ever meeting

The largest meeting of parents, children, physicians, and researchers associated with the rare disease KIF1A took place at Columbia last week. 

KIF1A is a neurological and degenerative genetic condition that affects less than 200 people worldwide with symptoms appearing at birth or early childhood. Currently, there is no cure or treatment, but this groundbreaking meeting marked a huge first step on the road toward a cure and was a beautiful moment in the strengthening of this community. Don’t miss the video. (From usatoday.com)

Weight-Loss Surgery May Reduce Heart Risks in People with Type 2 Diabetes

Weight loss surgery is proven to be the most effective treatment for severe obesity. A new observational study published in JAMA suggests that bariatric surgery may also have other significant health benefits, cutting the overall risk of serious cardiovascular events and premature death by half.

The study confirmed much of what we already know about the benefits of surgical intervention for patients with obesity to curb type 2 diabetes, but also highlighted several additional cardiovascular benefits that warrant a second phase of research to explore further. (From nytimes.com

Read a related Q&A with Jeffery Zitsman, MD, Director of the Center for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery, on surgical intervention for teens struggling with obesity.

Columbia Ranked Top Medical Center for Research

Columbia was named the top institution for scientific research worldwide by the 2019 Nature Index Annual Tables, ranking first with 375 publications in leading journals in 2018. The medical center has been ranked in the top three health care institutions since 2015, and Columbia University overall is ranked 25th in the 2019 Nature Index Annual Tables Top 100 for research institutions. Congratulations to our team for such an impactful achievement! (From cuimc.columbia.edu)

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