WASHINGTON — Could repeating a mantra and meditating help alleviate symptoms of combat-related PTSD and improve quality of life in veterans suffering from the malady? A new pilot study suggests the answer is “Yes.­­”

WASHINGTON—Lillie Kennedy’s office is a testament to what she helps teach veterans as the Vision Rehabilitation Supervisor at the DC VA Medical Center. 

SAN FRANCISCO — Research into PTSD has accelerated exponentially over the last decade. Where once it was understood as little more than a loose collection of symptoms, now researchers are beginning to define the pathology of the disease as well as what effects it might have on other bodily systems. And, as patients with PTSD age, more is being understood about how PTSD will affect health the rest of their lives.

WASHINGTON — It has become a common complaint among OEF/OIF amputees moving from active-duty to veteran status: VA does not have the same level of technology or expertise as DoD facilities when it comes to prosthetic care.

It may be possible to predict a soldier’s infection risks during and after strenuous physical exercise by pre-exercise immune system status or from a blood sample taken at rest, according to a recent study.¹

At one point, copper was so inexpensive, it was used to make pennies. Now, a form of the metal may save not only money, but also lives, when used on commonly-touched items in hospital patient rooms.

WASHINGTON — Young veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who are diagnosed with PTSD or substance-use disorders (SUD) are more likely to suffer from a host of physical ailments, particularly musculoskeletal disorders, according to study data recently released by VA researchers in the Palo Alto VA Healthcare System.

WASHINGTON — VA oncology care was found to be some of the best in the nation, according to a new study looking at older men treated for cancer at VA facilities.

While the rate of prostate-cancer diagnoses in active-duty servicemen has increased over time, higher rates of screening may be responsible, not a greater incidence of disease, according to a new study.¹

WASHINGTON — Last month,  Marine Corps veteran Robert Stahlnecker stood before a District Judge in Plains Township, Pa., and waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of harassing female employees at the VA regional office in Philadelphia. That harassment allegedly included threats of violence and references to rape made during dozens of phone calls and e-mails during the course of several months in 2009 and 2010.