In 2017, almost no healthcare personnel at VA hospitals reported in a survey that they had received mandatory influenza vaccinations. By 2021, almost all VA respondents said they had.
Processing of ICE Medical Claims by VA Sparks Controversy in Congress
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved an amendment to H.R. 8580, the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act to prohibit the VA from processing claims for the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Health Service Corps at the Department of Homeland Security.
Sacubitril/Valsartan Not Linked to Higher Dementia Rates in HF Patients
Could using the drug combination sacubitril/valsartan, an angiotensin receptor/neprilysin inhibitor, in heart failure patients increase their risk of cognitive impairment?
Influenza Associated With Coronary, Cerebrovascular Events in Older Veterans
Influenza is a significant contributor to coronary and cerebrovascular events in U.S. veterans and exacerbates underlying conditions, according to a new study.
Kidney Disease Defined by KDIGO Guidelines Riskier for Veterans With HF
Is chronic kidney disease (CKD) diagnosed based on a single estimated glomerular filtration rate measurement significantly different from that diagnosed using the Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guideline?
Olfactory Function Loss in GW Veterans Linked to Cognitive Deficits
A disorder related to military service in the 1991 Gulf War (GW), Gulf War illness (GWI)/Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI), includes symptoms such as fatigue, pain and cognitive dysfunction.
Guideline Discordant Care Leads to Lower NSCLC Survival in AI/AN
American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) patients have lower overall survival rates from non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and at least part of the reason is that they are less likely to receive guideline-concordant care, according to a new study.
Mutant HRAS-Driven BC Tumors More Linked to Skeletal Muscle Dysfunction
The quality of life for many breast cancer patients is affected by skeletal muscle dysfunction, which is estimated to appear in about 39% of cases.
Red Flag Signs, Symptoms Could Mean Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States and worldwide, with about 4,000 cases diagnosed each year in the VA alone. While the rate of colorectal cancer among older individuals—who traditionally were at greatest risk—has decreased in recent years, the incidence in younger people has been increasing at an “alarming rate,” according to a recent study.
Using ‘Colon Age’ to Determine Cancer Screening for Veterans Younger Than 50
A new metric, so-called colon age, has been developed to help estimate the risk for early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) in male veterans.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Letter: Constituents Frustrated With VA Disability Exams
Veterans are reporting disability exam experiences with third-party contractors that are “inadequate and unprofessional,” and it has a leading Democratic senator asking what the VA plans to do about it.
Skin Disorders Such as Atopic Dermatitis Can Have Extracutaneous Effects
Aging can lead to the development of cutaneous symptoms and disorders, and in many older adults the effects often are not limited to the skin, according to a new VA study.
Advocates Warn VA’s Spinal Cord Injury Hub System Is In Danger of Collapse
The Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCID) system, the hub-and-spoke model of care that VA uses to treat some of its most vulnerable veterans, is in danger of collapse, veterans’ advocates are telling lawmakers. According to them, the system is under-financed and understaffed, with patients being turned away because of the lack of resources.
Psychiatric, Health Factors Should Be Considered in Veterans With Cognitive Decline
While cognitive decline in older people often raises suspicion of early Alzheimer’s disease, a new VA study underscores the importance of considering how factors beyond Alzheimer’s—including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), pain and sleep difficulties—might also impact cognition in older veterans.
More Than 14 million U.S. Adults on Statins Might Not Really Need Them
Equations that estimate 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) appear to have overestimated the number of U.S. adults eligible for primary prevention statin therapy, according to a new study.
Smaller Brainstem Volumes Found in Gulf War, Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans
Gulf War and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans have significantly smaller brainstem volumes compared to healthy civilians, and damage to the brainstem structure of these veterans could potentially lead to sleep disturbances and chronic pain, according to a recent study.
Ilem Advocates for Disabled Veterans for a Quarter Century
There’s a well-worn quote about how laws are like sausages, in that you should never either being made. In reality, the legislative process can be even messier, more laborious, and require even more hands in its construction.
I Will Well And Faithfully Discharge The Duties Of The Office On Which I Am About To Enter
I have sworn this oath several times throughout my military career, as did my wife and first daughter. A framed print of the oath of office adorned our living room for years. Often, when asked what I did for a living by a new acquaintance, I will state that I spent a career protecting and defending the United States Constitution. It is an occupation my family has been involved in for generations. Except for my family, nothing has been more fundamentally important to my identity and sense of purpose. Defense of our Constitution is the most important endeavor I have performed to protect my family, posterity and my country.
Indeterminate Liver Nodules Have a High but Variable Risk of HCC
DALLAS – For more than a decade, the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) has been used to standardize the interpretation and reporting of liver lesions in patients at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Yet, predicting what happens with...
Agent Orange Exposure Not Linked to Hepatocellular Carcinoma
LOS ANGELES -- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and related mortality are on the rise. A recent study sought to determine if Agent Orange exposure is one of the factors affecting veterans. “Viral hepatitis and alcohol are leading risk factors; however, other risk...
Surveys: Better HCC Surveillance Seen as Key to Improved Survival Rates
PALO ALTO, CA -- Even though hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance in associated with improved survival, screening of cirrhosis patients is suboptimal, especially in primary care settings, according to recent surveys. A recent study in JAMA Network Open argued...
Congressional Testimony Puts Focus on TBIs Caused by Weapons Training
While traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its impact on the lives of servicemembers and veterans have received considerable attention, most of that attention has focused on TBIs incurred during combat.
Traumatic Brain Injury Associated With Increased Risk of Brain Cancer
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been linked to poor long-term outcomes in the veteran population, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, epilepsy and mental health issues. A new study of post-9/11 veterans provides evidence of yet another concerning effect of TBI—an increased, although still low, risk of brain cancer.
Social Avoidance, Other Deficits Appear to Be Features of Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Not Just the Consequences of Social Isolation
While individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder often have difficulty with relationships and being part of a community, a recent study involving U.S. veterans has found that social cognitive deficits and high social avoidance motivation appear to be actual features of the clinical conditions and not the result of living in social isolation.
RSV Is as Severe as COVID-19, Flu When Everyone’s Unvaccinated
A recent study suggested that RSV disease severity is similar to unvaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 or influenza, but significantly more severe than patients hospitalized with those diseases who had been vaccinated.
Mounting Evidence of RSV Severity Bolsters Argument for Vaccination
Immunization levels against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among older adults remained relatively low at around 24% as of late March. As a comparison, national coverage with influenza vaccines for all U.S. adults was 48.3% in the same time period, 2% higher than last year.
Overall Survival Improves With Adjuvant Pembrolizumab in RCC
A third prespecified interim analysis of the KEYNOTE-564 trial has determined that adjuvant pembrolizumab after surgery was associated with a significant and clinically meaningful improvement in overall survival, as compared with placebo, among participants with clear-cell renal-cell carcinoma at increased risk for recurrence after surgery.
Increased Molecular Identification Updates Renal Cell Carcinoma Classifications
Forty years ago, the only recognized form of kidney cancer was renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Today, RCC still accounts for more than 90% of malignancies in the kidney, but now the World Health Organization (WHO) delineates 21 subtypes, with significant differences in aggressiveness and treatment options.
VA Looks Deeper at Treatment Selection in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
Veterans face twice the risk of prostate cancer compared to those who have never served, with approximately 15,000 veterans diagnosed with the disease annually. Breakthroughs in treatment have allowed those patients to live longer than ever and swelled the number of veterans with prostate cancer receiving care through the VHA to nearly 500,000.
Environmental Exposure Linked to Blood Cancer Risk in Veterans
Study Shows Link Between Agent Orange and MPNs A recent study has linked the development of polycythemia vera and other MPNs—essential thrombocythemia (ET) and primary myelofibrosis (MF)—with exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange. Among patients with MPNs,...