Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, some concerns were raised about whether the VHA was experiencing a greater increase in mortality rates relative to the general population.
VA Makes Argument in Congress for Its Record-Setting $325.1B Budget Request
VA vociferously defended its proposed FY2024 budget before Congress in an effort to justify the record-setting $325.1 billion request—a 5.4% increase over last year’s enacted budget.
Opioid Use Increases Among Veterans Who Are Dual-System Users
Veterans who use dual systems (i.e., both VA and non-VA services, for medical care) are more likely to receive a new opioid prescription and to receive a diagnosis of opioid use disorder, according to a recent study.
The doctor of the future will give no medicine
I took a deep, cleansing breath and calmly explained to the Pentagon officer that pain was as complex and varied as human cancer. No one approach would solve the issue consistently for every patient without unwanted and occasionally severe consequences. Needless to say, this was not the answer these leaders were looking for. We all left the meeting disappointed.
No Increased Bladder Cancer Risk Seen With SGLT2 Inhibitors
For years, reports of higher risks of breast and bladder cancer with the use of sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have raised concerns.
Microscopic Hematuria in Urine Rarely Raises Cancer Risk
The discovery of blood in the urine might be alarming, but do patients with microscopic hematuria (MH) and a negative initial evaluation have an elevated risk for urinary carcinoma?
Recurrence Risk Lower When Blue Light Cystoscopy Used for Detection
White light cystoscopy has been found less effective in detecting cases of nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) than blue light cystoscopy.
Do Fungal Pathogens Cause ARI More Often Than Previously Suspected?
Fungal infections are known to be causes of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and acute respiratory illness (ARI), but it is not clear how their frequency compares with that of viral and bacterial causes of these conditions.
Folasade P. May Works to Remove Obstacles Keeping Minorities From CRC Screening
Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable of cancers, despite being one of the most prevalent, ranking as the second-leading cause of cancer death in adults.
Paxlovid Reduces Likelihood of Long COVID in Patients at Severe Infection Risk
A recent study suggested, that Paxlovid, which is prescribed to patients infected with SARS-CoV-2, who are at risk for severe symptoms, also might help protect against the condition. Researchers found the antiviral also lowered the likelihood of post-acute death and hospitalization.
VA Battles Potentially Deadly Pressure Injuries; Veteran Patients at Higher Risk
Pressure injuries, commonly known as bedsores, often can be deadlier than the condition that causes patients to be bed-bound.
Biopsies Show Surprising Rate of Aggressive Lesions in Small Renal Masses
A review of renal cell carcinoma surveillance in a four-state region found that veterans treated at the VA had a significant incidence of high-risk lesions and poor compliance with follow-up imaging.
HCC, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Cases Increase Dramatically in US
The incidence and mortality trends of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancer in the United States had a dramatic increase from 1975 to 2017, according to data from the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database.
Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment, Survival Varies Among VA Regions
Veterans have higher rates of cirrhosis, hepatitis C infection, obesity, high alcohol use and diabetes—all of which put them at greater risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. Treatment is challenging, and a new study found that it tends to be inconsistent across regions within VA healthcare, with the West providing more interventions and having longer survival.
Telemedicine Increase During Pandemic Put Spotlight on Possible Disparities
The VA has long been a leader in the use of virtual healthcare to improve access to care. When the pandemic caused shutdowns in 2020, virtual care became even more important at the VA.
Does Sleep Deprivation Lower Military Vaccination Effectiveness?
The dangers of sleep deprivation in military personnel is well-documented; issues include a detrimental effect on readiness and a higher likelihood of errors and injuries.
GAO: Rural Veterans Have More Difficulties Accessing Mental Healthcare
Rural veterans with serious mental health issues face a disproportionate challenge when seeking mental healthcare services from VA, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Chronic Insomnia Plagues Active Duty Servicemembers, Affects Readiness
Sleep issues continue to torment military personnel, and the military is increasingly concerned, because insufficient sleep from chronic insomnia poses a direct threat to military operational readiness. Soldiers in the Army have been most effected. Still, a recent study pointed out that clinical guidelines on treating the issues aren’t always being followed.
Mental Health Disorders Identified in Deployed Soldiers, Higher Among Females
Active-duty servicemembers who have mental health disorders need continued support when they are deployed, according to a new study that underscored the need for in-theater healthcare providers. The Uniformed Service University of the Health Sciences-led authors also found that women were more likely to report mental health issues, including serious types, such as bipolar disorder.
Social Determinants of Health Can Predict Schizophrenia in Veterans
Among the most complex patients treated in the VA healthcare system are those with serious mental illnesses, including the more than 120,000 diagnosed with schizophrenia. Those patients not only tend to have worse physical function as they age, but also are more likely to engage in suicidal behavior. To better understand what increases the risk of schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses, VA researchers are taking a close look at social determinants of health.
RSV in Older Adults Riskier Than Realized; Vaccine Could Help
A new model suggests that as many as 4.8 million symptomatic cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) occur in the United States among patients 65 and older. That burden is greater than previously recognized, according to another study, which looked at the U.S. and other high-income countries. Recently approved vaccines are likely to be game-changers.
What Increases Survival Rates in Older Veterans with DLBCL?
The most common non-Hodgkin lymphoma is diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and its incidence steadily increases with age, according to recent research.
Better Understanding Leads to New Treatment Options for Follicular Lymphoma
Already a presumptive condition for Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange and military personnel who were at Camp Lejeune in the mid-20th century, follicular lymphoma is also one of the presumptive conditions associated with burn put for Gulf War era and post-9/11 veterans under the new PACT Act. Recent advances have provided a greater understanding of the biological changes that precede the development of FL, a type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and treatment options are improving.
VA Study Endorses Extended-Interval Dosing of Single-Agent Pembrolizumab
Even though extended-interval dosing of single-agent pembrolizumab isn’t often used, despite approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the practice has potential health system and public health benefits, according to a VA study.
NSAIDs Might Be Associated With Improved Survival in ICI-Treated NSCLC
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have played a major role in the increased survival of patients with NSCLC. Now, a new study looking at veterans has raised the possibility that common painkillers, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), could play a role in further lengthening survival rates in lung cancer patients being treated with ICIs.
Understanding Mechanisms Leading to B-Myeloid Lineage Switching in CLL
Lineage-switching is a mechanism that can lead to treatment resistance in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), and, though it’s a rare occurrence, it can be fatal.
Racial Disparity Found in VA Care When Novel CLL Treatments Introduced
In a new study, researchers said they were surprised when a review of first-line chronic lymphocytic leukemia treatment showed racial disparities within the VA healthcare system, which is known for providing equitable care. Black veterans were found to be less likely to receive early novel agents to treat CLL compared to white ones. The situation improved over time, however, and survival rates did not appear to be affected.
New Therapeutic Combinations Show Promise in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Unlike veterans with a variety of types of lymphoma, the expanded list of presumptive conditions for the PACT Act did not include acute myeloid leukemia or other types of leukemia. Because AML occurs primarily in older adults, with an average age at diagnosis of 68, it remains a challenge for clinicians treating veterans receiving care from the VHA. The good news, according to recent studies, is that new combinations of treatment have now come online for older patients.
2023 Compendium of Federal Medicine
The White House announced this month that the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) has ended and that the United States is “well-prepared to manage the risks of COVID-19 going forward.”
Antifibrotic Medications Underused for IPF With Internal, External VA Care
SAN FRANCISCO — Medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis are significantly under-used in the VA Healthcare System, according to a new study. The recent report in the journal Chest looked at the usage...
