Not many studies have looked at the comparative effectiveness of commonly used glucose-lowering medications, when added to metformin, on preventing microvascular and cardiovascular disease outcomes in Type 2 diabetes.
VA Study Calls for Greater Use of Fecal Immunochemical Testing for CRC
Backlogs in high-volume gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, such as colonoscopy, occurred during the current COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the early days.
Columbus, OH, VAMC Is Latest Facility to Face Problems With New EHR
Staff at the Columbus, OH, VAMC, the last VA facility where the department’s new electronic health record system was installed, are experiencing many of the same kinds of problems that occurred in Spokane, WA, where the EHR was piloted.
GAO: Claims Processor Misunderstanding Often Denied Agent Orange Benefits to Which Vietnam Vets Were Entitled
VA claims processors have consistently failed to understand the department’s own regulations when it comes to Vietnam veterans presenting with certain Agent Orange-related conditions, prematurely denying benefits for thousands, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Clostridioides Difficile Infection Increases Mortality, Costs for MHS Patients
One of the largest studies ever of healthcare-facility-associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) underscored the seriousness of the infection, which causes significantly increased length of stay, higher costs, and, worst of all, greater mortality among inpatients.
Kearney Tries to Get Troubled Veterans to Talk About Suicide Concerns
Most of the career of Lisa Kearney, PhD, at the VA has revolved around reducing the stigma associated with mental healthcare and increasing access for veterans who need it.
Better to get hurt by the truth than comforted with a lie
We are presently enjoying the cool climate and spectacular beauty of Acadia National Park. The scenic byways and trails during September are worth a place on your bucket list. Today is Sept. 11, which causes many Americans to pause and reflect on everything that has occurred in this country since 2001. My career and family life were so profoundly sent in an unexpected direction that I still think of my time on this planet in terms of before 9/11 and then after. I imagine many readers of this column know precisely what I am expressing.
New Studies Examine Major, Minor Risks With Colonoscopies
A Durham, NC, VA Healthcare System-led study sought to describe adverse events during follow-up in a colonoscopy screening program after the baseline examination.
Leukocytes Help Predict Anal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Treatment Response
The prognosis is favorable for the majority of anal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) patients; in 70% to 80%, tumors are highly sensitive to standard-of-care chemoradiation.
Pandemic Didn’t Delay Colonoscopies for Veterans With ‘Red Flag’ Symptoms
Concerns have been raised over the last few years that, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, VHA patients with “red flag signs or symptoms” of colorectal cancer (CRC) did not receive prompt colonoscopy work-ups.
New Center at NYU Will Focus on How Social Factors Might Affect Veterans Using Telehealth for Cancer
As part of a larger initiative, a center will be established at New York University to determine how social factors might affect the delivery of telehealth for cancer care.
VA Adds Abortion Counseling, Limited Abortion Access to Health Services
The VA has expanded its health services to include access to abortion counseling and, in limited cases, abortion to veterans and VA beneficiaries, even when restricted by state laws.
Elnahal Is First Permanent VA Under Secretary for Health Since 2017
The Senate voted to confirm Shereef Elnahal, MD, MBA, as the next VA undersecretary for health, making him the first Senate-confirmed person in that role since 2017.
Federal Medicine Leads the Battle Against MS from Cause to Vaccine
Researchers with the DoD provided a breakthrough in resolving the mystery surrounding the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS).
VA Research Finds Disease-Modifying Therapies Protective Against COVID-19
For veterans with multiple sclerosis (MS), the COVID-19 pandemic increased anxiety. Would the demyelinating disease increase the risk of hospitalization or death in patients infected with SARS-CoV-2?
VA Partners with PVA, National MS Society to Support Veterans with MS
The VA’s Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence (MSCoE) offer a wide range of services for veterans affected by the neurological condition and ensures veterans have access to high quality care wherever they are.
PTSD Appears to Accelerate Multiple Sclerosis Progression for Veterans
An unfortunate confluence of events puts a significant number of veterans at higher risk of both multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTSD).
VA Researchers, Others, Determine That MS Costs the U.S. $85.4 Billion Annually
An estimated one million people in the U.S. live with multiple sclerosis (MS) today, making understanding the economic impact of the disease a matter of increasing importance.
Response to MS Disease-Modifying Therapy May Differ by Race, Ethnicity
Disease-modifying therapies have transformed the lives of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by slowing progression, decreasing relapse rates, and reducing brain lesion accumulation since the first approval of interferon beta nearly 30 years ago.
Aspirin Helps Protect Hypertensive Patients from Melanoma
Dose aspirin used by hypertensive patients reduce their risk of melanoma?
Melanoma Cases Went Undiagnosed Earlier in Pandemic
Too many melanoma cases went undiagnosed during the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequently presented at later stages, according to a letter published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
U.S. Military Needs to Prioritize Sun Protection More
The U.S. military could do more to protect service members from skin cancer, according to a recent article.
Sexual Harassment Reporting Structure Might Change at VA
Despite concerns from agency watchdogs that VA’s sexual harassment reporting process has a perceived conflict of interest, if not an actual one, the department has resisted changing it.
VA Researchers Suggest Non-Hispanic Black Men Might Need More Frequent PSA Screening to Reduce Risk of Prostate Cancer-Specific Mortality
The benefits of annual prostate-specific antigen screening (PSA) appear to vary by race, decreasing the risk of prostate cancer-specific mortality among non-Hispanic Black men but not non-Hispanic white men, according to a new veteran study.
How Do Service Dogs Help PTSD Symptoms in Veterans?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) impacts 11-20% of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans and can have a significant effect on quality of life.
What Factors Help Decrease Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Veterans?
Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin), are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for anxiety and sleep disorders. They also carry a significant risk of side effects.
Problematic Anger Impedes Transition to Civilian Life
How does problematic anger in long-term adjustment of service members transitioning out of the military?
Collaborative Care Works Well for Bipolar Patients Seeing PCPs
For patients with bipolar disorder, medication management appears to work as well with primary care clinicians supported by psychiatrists as direct psychiatrist care.
Veterans With Schizophrenia Face High Rates of Adverse Societal Outcomes
In addition to their substantial healthcare burdens, veterans with schizophrenia face a much higher risk of adverse societal outcomes, according to a new report.
VA Partners With American Kidney Fund, Business to Tackle CKD
Several new partnerships are positioning the VA to offer more extensive services, educational material and testing for the one in six veterans estimated to have chronic kidney disease.
