A new study spotlighted the trend of using botulinum toxin, including onabotulinum toxinA (OTA), in active military personnel and veterans who have been diagnosed with migraine and post-traumatic headache (PTH). The article in the Journal of Pain Research also sought to describe the efficacy of botulinum toxin administration.
Long-term Opioid Use Can Lead to Neurocognitive Symptoms
Opioid-related harm might be signaled early on by neurocognitive symptoms (NCS).
Concerns Raised About Severe Allergic Reactions in Outdoor Military Personnel
Tick bites in U.S. military personnel are leading to the development of antibodies to alpha-gal, a molecule found in most mammals, and possibly alpha-gal syndrome, a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
Record Number of Benefits Claims Relate to Military Sexual Trauma
The end of 2024 saw a record number of servicemembers filing VA benefits claims related to military sexual trauma. According to VA leaders, that is the result of increased outreach by the department.
Differing Definitions of Symptoms Might Delay Migraine Diagnosis
Headaches are an almost universal experience, affecting approximately 96% of people globally at some point in their lives. Migraines, with a lifetime prevalence of 12.9% to 15.2%, consistently rank among the top three leading causes of disability for both men and women.
Memory Recall Differs Across Common Neurological, Psychiatric Conditions
Memory performance is a vital cognitive function crucial for daily life and overall well-being. Impairments in memory are associated with various neurological, neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Bipolar Disorder Symptoms Linked to Sleep Disturbance, Cannabis-Use Disorder
In bipolar disorder patients, having cannabis-use disorder and a natural tendency to go to sleep and awaken late are associated with more severe mood symptoms, according to a recent study.
Outgoing VA Secretary McDonough Concerned About Budget, Slow Hiring
In his final press conference, VA Secretary Denis McDonough discussed what he thinks should be the top priority for incoming department leaders.
Frailty Assessment Can Improve Decision-Making for Older NSCLC Patients
Frailty indices predict overall survival and toxicity among older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy.
Clotrimazole Shows Promise in Improving NSCLC Survival
Preclinical data has suggested antifungal azole derivatives have antitumor efficacy that might modulate response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). A new study evaluated the association of azole drugs with overall survival (OS) in a population of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with ICI within the VHA.
Multiple Comorbidities Affect NSCLC Survival in Older Veterans
Most advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients are older adults, and they often have multiple other comorbidities (multimorbidity) when initiating treatment. A new study sought to learn more about the nature and impact of multimorbidity, especially since aging patients are often excluded from clinical trials.
More Benefit From Intensive BP Control in Veterans With CKD Than Original SPRINT Participants
The Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) found benefits of intensive vs. standard blood pressure (BP) control. But do those findings generalize to adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
First-Line PTSD Therapies Lower Veteran Suicide Risk, but Fewer Than 9% Receive Them
Suicide prevention is the top clinical priority of the VA. Given the higher prevalence of PTSD among veterans and its strong association with veteran suicide risk, it is essential to evaluate whether and how the treatments veterans receive for PTSD through the VA are influencing that risk.
Former U.S. Representative Doug Collins Confirmed as 12th VA Secretary
Following a 77-23 Senate vote confirming him as the 12th VA Secretary earlier this month, Douglas Collins released a message on X.
Payer Shift From Medicare Meant Extra $2 Billion VA Emergency Care Costs
At least $2 billion of VA spending for community emergency department care in 2021 was due to a payer shift from Medicare, according to a recent research letter.
VA’s Pivotal Trial Transformed Hypertension Treatment, Clinical Trial Structure
U.S. Medicine’s 60th anniversary profiles to date have featured interviews with researchers who have dramatically changed the practice of federal medicine, but a comment during last month’s interview prompted an exception for Freis.
BMI Is Major—but Not Only— Risk Factor for Metabolic Disease in Veterans
Body mass index (BMI), calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared, has been established as a tool to evaluate the risk of obesity-related health conditions and mortality.
You can’t have a healthy civilization without healthy soil. You can’t have junk food and have healthy people.
I identify with the label “foodie.” While I am no help in the kitchen (I can burn water) beyond doing the dishes, I am a joy to cook for because I enthusiastically praise anything prepared to pass down my gullet. As expected, managing my weight and body shape has been a lifelong challenge due to my passion for food.
Clinical Challenges When NSCLC Histologically Transforms Into SCLC
In the last two decades, targeted therapies have dramatically improved the survival of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that possess actionable driver mutations.
Psychological Distress Common in Veterans with Lung Cancer
Cancer patients often suffer psychological distress, but the condition often is an underrecognized and burdensome adverse effect of cancer diagnosis and treatment, according to a new study.
Longer Survival for SCLC Patients with Immunotherapy-Related Adverse Events
A new study examined if small-cell lung cancer patients live longer when they have side effects from immunotherapy.
For the First Time in More Than 50 Years, VA Funds Research on Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy for PTSD, AUD
For the first time in more than 50 years, the VA will fund a study on psychedelic-assisted therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol-use disorder among veterans.
Will New Supreme Court Ruling Change Ability of VA Leaders to Interpret New Legislation?
Republicans on the House VA Committee are looking to a recent Supreme Court case as an opportunity to strip the power from VA when it comes to interpreting how to enact legislation.
VA Insists That Extra $6.6 Billion Still Needed; Inflation Driving Up Costs of Drugs, Prosthetics
At a public examination of VA’s ongoing budget crisis, Republican legislators accused agency leaders of general incompetence and of using the budget as political leverage during an election season.
Melatonin Appears to Have Some Effect Enhancing Flu Vaccine
Noting that vaccine immunogenicity is affected by a variety of factors, melatonin has been reported to affect immune responses to vaccines and infection, according to a new study.
Past COVID-19 Infection Increases Frailty in Older Veterans
COVID-19 survivors appear to be at greater risk for new medical conditions. A new study sought to determine if previous infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus is associated with a change in frailty among older U.S. veterans.
Older White Veterans Most Likely to Get Flu Vaccines
How do race, ethnicity, sex and rurality affect influenza vaccination adherence in a VHA cohort?
‘Prescription Rules’ Could Lengthen Survival in mCRPC
If detected and treated at an early stage, prostate cancer is often curable. That is not the case, however, with an advanced stage such as metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), which has a high risk of mortality.
How General Obesity Affects Prostate Cancer
How does general obesity affect prostate cancer? Thus far, inconsistent evidence has been found for the association between general obesity and prostate cancer among men in the United States.
No Problems Found With Concurrent Spironolactone, Abiraterone Administration
The most common cancer in men in the United States, prostate cancer has low survival rates once metastasized.
