SALT LAKE CITY—More veterans leave the hospital with a diagnosis of heart failure than any other condition, making improving care for this rapidly growing segment of the population a high priority. A critical step is keeping veterans with heart failure out of the...
Improved Electrocardiogram Screening for Recruits Could Save Lives—and Dollars
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Despite significant rates of sudden cardiac death in recruits and the devastating impact of SCD on military missions, the DoD discontinued universal electrocardiogram screening for recruits and officer candidates nearly 20 years ago. Now,...
Veteran Study Looks at Thrombotic Events in Polycythemia Vera Patients
SAN ANTONIO—Patients with polycythemia vera face an elevated risk of thromboembolic events and cardiovascular disease, compared to patients with other myeloproliferative disorders. A German-led study last year in Annals of Hematology pointed out that CV conditions are...
Metformin Linked to Reduced Cardiovascular Events in Certain Veterans
Compared to Sulfonylureas in Patients with Impaired Kidney Function NASHVILLE, TN—It wasn’t that many years ago that prescribing metformin for Type 2 diabetes patients with impaired kidney function was discouraged for safety reasons. Now, in an about-face, a new VA...
Sacubitril/Valsartan Underused in VA Heart Failure Patients
A preponderance of evidence supports the use of sacubitril/valsartan, the first angiotensin II receptor blocker-neprilysin inhibitor-for mortality reduction in patients with heart failure, but the medication remains underprescribed, according to new research.
VA TAVR Results Comparable to Outside Care
How do veterans fare when they undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the VA? That was the question asked by a study which sought to examine their association with short- and long-term mortality, length of stay, and rehospitalization within 30 days.
Cardiologist Visits Increase Statin Use at VA
HOUSTON—Statin use remains suboptimal in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to a VA study trying to find out why. Michael E. DeBakey VAMC researchers and colleagues assessed whether outpatient care with a cardiology provider is associated...
Million Veteran Program Study Raises Questions about Omega-3 Benefits in CAD
BOSTON—Researchers at the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology and Research Information Center demonstrated the value of the VA’s ability to harness the health data of thousands or even millions of individuals in a study that calls into question long-held assumptions...
CVD Risks Differ by Sex in VA Patients
WASHINGTON—Does the incidence of cardiovascular disease differ by sex among veterans as it does with the general U.S. population? A study in the Journal of Women’s Health sought to answer that question. VA researchers from across the nation focused on veterans who...
PTSD Alone Doesn’t Increase Cardiovascular Risk in Veterans
Study Urges Close Monitoring of Physical, Psychological Co-Morbidities ST. LOUIS—Even though veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder are 41% more likely to developing cardiovascular disease than those without, PTSD alone doesn’t fully explain the higher...
Current Treatment Halves Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Hep C Patients
PITTSBURGH—In more good news for veterans who have received treatment for hepatitis C virus, VA researchers have found that treatment not only reduces the risk of complications from liver disease, it also dramatically reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. VA...
Better Sleep Metrics Can Identify CVD Risk in Sleep Apnea
MIAMI—Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is known to increase the risk of early mortality, stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD). A study published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology noted that OSA is defined by the apnea–hypopnea index, a severity index that...
