“More than half of older adults are exposed to polypharmacy and the unfortunate thing is that those people are more susceptible to side effects and they’re more vulnerable to drug-drug interactions. It’s important for physicians, patients, and caregivers to realistically discuss the benefits a medication can and can’t provide, and to have a plan for de-escalating or stopping certain medications.”

In a new UNC Health Talk article, David Weber, MD, MPH, answers questions about the coronavirus, encourages the flu vaccine and recognizes respiratory etiquette. Weber is professor of medicine and pediatrics at the UNC School of Medicine and professor of epidemiology at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. He’s also medical director of hospital … Read more

Vascular disease can manifest as thrombosis, arteriosclerosis, vasculitis, vasospasm or aneurysm formation, and care for the patient is frequently split between a variety of subspecialties. These include cardiologists, vascular surgeons, internists, neurologists, nephrologists, and hematologists, with a variety of support systems. Vascular medicine unifies every organ system, with a comprehensive approach to non-interventional, non-surgical vascular … Read more

Paula Miller, MD, professor of medicine in the division of cardiology, and director of the UNC Women’s Heart Program, will lead UNC’s sixth annual Women’s Heart Symposium on February 22, 2020. This free event provides hundreds of women with education and resources designed to improve outcomes in cardiovascular health. This annual event is made possible by donations to UNC Medicine.

A UNC School of Medicine alumnus, and patient, honors his internist Amy Shaheen, MD, by establishing a fund for student research and quality improvement. The fund supports a six-week quality improvement fellowship that exposes medical students to systems and approaches that create space for a physician to focus on patient care, and then to implement improvements in a real-world primary care setting.

R. Balfour Sartor, MD, the Margaret W. and Lorimer W. Midget Distinguished Professor of Medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology, and professor of microbiology and immunology, has received the American Gastroenterological Association‘s Distinguished Achievement Award in Basic Science. The award will be presented during Digestive Disease Week 2020, May 1-5, 2020, in Chicago, … Read more

The National Cancer Institute has named Satish Gopal, MD, MPH, director of the NCI Center for Global Health.  Gopal is a physician-scientist who led the cancer program for UNC Project-Malawi, a research and care collaboration between the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Malawi Ministry of Health, since 2012. Gopal holds faculty … Read more

(Republished from the UNC Health Care and UNC School of Medicine Newsroom) Kirsten Nyrop, PhD, assistant professor of hematology/oncology and UNC Lineberger member, has received a $50,000 award from the Integrated Approach to Breast Health Equity Competitive Grant Program, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and Pfizer. Nyrop will lead a one-year qualitative research … Read more

The UNC Hypertension Clinic at Meadowmont has been awarded the American Heart Association’s Comprehensive Hypertension Center Certification to recognize the practice’s commitment to following proven, research-based treatment guidelines to care for people with complex or difficult-to-treat hypertension, or high blood pressure. “Nearly half of the American population over age 20 has hypertension and many do … Read more

Subhashini Sellers, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the division of pulmonary diseases and critical care medicine, discusses the main types of influenza and explains what to expect during the flu season in this UNC Health Talk article. Sellers also provides education about anti-viral drugs for high-risk patients.

Division of Hematology and Oncology Erica Sparkenbaugh, PhD, and Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics fellow Robert Lee, PhD, have been selected to receive Scholar Awards from the American Society of Hematology’s (ASH). Sparkenbaugh received a $125,000 award to support her research into the mechanisms of thrombin generation and end-organ failure in sickle cell disease. Read more. … Read more

UNC Geriatrics Specialty Clinic’s Social Worker Bryan Godfrey speaks with WRAL’s Liisa Ogburn on why older adults seek primary care providers with geriatrics expertise. “Our providers are physicians with certifications in internal or family medicine, but they also have specialized training in geriatrics. This means they are especially attuned to the challenges older adults often face and particularly skilled in helping patients and families prepare for the road ahead.”