“You are not in this fight alone.”
Dog Ownership Reduces Cardiovascular Risks in Many but Not All Veterans
Owning a dog reduces the rates of a range of cardiovascular and related diseases in veterans, according to a new study.
Alternative Measurement Finds Slightly Higher Veteran Suicide Rate Than General Population
By any measure, suicide rates for veterans are higher than the general U.S. population; how much higher, however, can vary greatly by how the comparison group is defined.
Statins Play a Role in Type 2 Diabetes Progression to Insulin Use
In patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) play a role in statin-related progression to insulin therapy, according to a recent study.
House Version of NDAA Sets Up Fight With Democrat-Controlled Senate
The House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a narrow margin and with multiple controversial amendments targeting abortion access and gender-affirming healthcare for servicemembers, as well as diversity and inclusion efforts in the military.
Dermatology Group Seeks Better Stevens-Johnson Severity Tool
Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (EN) is a severe adverse mucocutaneous drug reaction with life-threatening implications, usually caused by drug reactions.
Not Enough Research on Pharmacological Treatments for Digital Ulcers
A recent review has found too little evidence on pharmacological treatments for systemic sclerosis (SSc) digital ulcers (DU) and was unable to promote the development of evidence-based treatment guidelines.
Surgical Excision Found More Cost-Effective Than Mohs Surgery
A retrospective study examined the cost differences between total surgical excision and Mohs surgery to treat skin cancer in the Miami VA Healthcare system.
Veterans Who Got COVID Shots More Likely to Accept Flu Vaccine
A new VA study sought to determine whether acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccine might have influenced update of annual influenza vaccination.
Racial Disparity Common in Receipt of High-Dose Influenza Vaccines
Racial disparities in receipt of high-dose influenza vaccine (HDV) have been documented nationally, but a new study sought to determine if small-area geographic variation in such disparities also exists.
Veterans Less Likely to Attribute Suicide Experiences to COVID-19 Pandemic
Veterans were more likely to report past-year suicidal ideation, plans and suicide attempts compared to nonveterans, but they were less likely to attribute their suicide-related experiences to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a recent study.
Comparison of the Adjuvanted, High-Dose Influenza Vaccines for Older Adults
Which provides better protection for older adults: the adjuvanted inactivated influenza vaccine (aIIV) or high-dose inactivated influenza vaccine (HD-IIV)?
Changing How Cancer Immunotherapy Is Delivered Could Save VHA Millions
Changing modes of delivery could save the VHA millions annually on the cost of cancer immunotherapy treatments, according to a new analysis.
How Afghanistan Particulate Matter Affected Deployed Servicemembers
U.S. military personnel who served in Iraq and Afghanistan often present with deployment-related asthma-like symptoms, including distal airway obstruction.
How Lung Volumes Change During Progression of Spirometric COPD
Abnormal lung volumes representing air-trapping identify the subset of smokers with preserved spirometry who develop spirometric chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and adverse outcomes can be identified by abnormal lung volumes representing air-trapping.
Dispute in House VA Committee on Allowing Remote Witnesses After COVID-19
Like most of the professional world, when the pandemic hit in 2020 and meeting in person became more difficult and dangerous, Congress began relying on remote technology to conduct some of its business.
New Equity Teams Seek to End Disparities in VA Care, Benefits
To ensure that quality VA care is being provided to all veterans regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual identity, an agency equity team is being established.
Military Plans for Casualty Care After Future Large-Scale Combat Operations
In planning and preparing for the future possibility of large-scale combat operations, military medicine might have to decide which wounded warriors can have delayed evacuations.
Prazosin Reduces Frequency, Impact of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Headaches
The blood pressure medication prazosin might dramatically reduce the occurrence of headaches following mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), according to a new study by researchers at VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle.
Penumbra Sheds Light on Use of Virtual Reality for Veteran Rehab
In partnership with the VA’s Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning (OHIL), Penumbra Inc. aims to change the way veterans receive and literally see rehabilitation services.
VA Doctor-Turned-Inventor Works to Prevent Infectious Disease Spread
Part of the inspiration for Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, to specialize in treating infectious disease comes from going to medical school in his native India, which has a high burden of such diseases. However, he also likes to say it’s partly for selfish reasons.
Hundreds of Thousands of PACT Act Claims Strain VBA’s Processing Capacity
The VA had received over 700,000 PACT Act-related claims as of last month, testing the department’s processing capacity and threatening to significantly increase the existing backlog of claims.
If you are planning for a year, sow rice
My mother is an educator, and I have observed her impact on countless lives. Most of my career as a physician has centered on the medical education of resident physicians. My second daughter has a master’s degree in education. Until recently, she was a second-grade teacher within an economically challenged area. My mother and daughter are the heroines in this editorial, since the resident student material I molded had already been appropriately shaped by teachers of children.
Higher Risk Veterans Vs. Others Challenge Lung Cancer Risk Calculators
Comparing VA patients with higher lung cancer risk to a general population group with lower risk underscored the limitations of using risk calculators in a clinical setting.
Study Found That SBRT Works Well for Multiple Primary Lung Cancers
As survival grows for lung cancer patients, more are presenting with multiple primary lung cancers (MPLCs).
Lung Cancer Affected Minority, Enlisted Servicemembers More Than Others
Non-Hispanic Black veterans and servicemembers had almost twofold greater lung cancer mortality risk compared with those who are non-Hispanic white.
VA Researchers Find Biomarkers for Potentially Serious Parasitic Infections
Asymptomatic Leishmaniasis Infected Nearly 20% of Soldiers in Iraq BETHESDA, MD—New research has identified three chemokines as potential biomarkers for asymptomatic visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a chronic infection caused by Leishmania (L.) donovani or L. infantum....
VA Facilities Plagued by Security Lapses, Serious Incidents
By their nature, VA healthcare facilities are meant to be easily accessible, but open-campus layouts also make them difficult to secure.
VA Relying on Fewer Companies, Broader Contracts to Build IT Infrastructure
Despite an increase in spending on information technology contracts, the number of companies that VA is relying on to build its IT infrastructure is decreasing.
Racial Disparities Persist in Outcomes for Pregnant and Postpartum Veterans, as Well as Their Infants, Despite VA’s Equal Access System
Racial health disparities in the United States are well documented, but the starkest are with reproductive health and outcomes, according to a VA researcher.
