Targeted in-person education and visible signs in the emergency department can increase adherence to institutional protocols designed to improve compliance with best practices for treating uncomplicated acute appendicitis, according to a recent study.
What Drives Higher CRC Rates, Worse Survival Among Blacks in U.S.?
If screening availability was equalized, the U.S. Black population would have a greater colorectal cancer incidence reduction than the White population, because of its slightly higher risk, according to a new study.
CRC Screening Too Low for Veterans With Anemia, Hematochezia
Among veterans with hematochezia, those aged 30 to 49 years were more likely to receive diagnostic testing than adults younger than 30 years of age.
MHS Patients Receive Earlier Diagnoses for Colorectal, Other Cancers
Military Health System patients tend to receive earlier diagnoses of colon cancer and other types of malignancies than members of the general U.S. population covered by insurance, especially Medicaid.
VHA Venous Thromboembolism Rates Low After Cancer Surgery
The rates of venous thromboembolism (VTE) diagnosis are low after major cancer surgery among veterans treated at the VHA, according to a recent study
COVID-19 Mortality Looks Somewhat Different Based on New VA Study
A study team involving VA researchers looked at death rates during the COVID-19 pandemic through a different lens and came up with intriguing information from individual-level instead of aggregate data.
Thrombosis Risk With Cancer Treatment Varies With VA Patient Characteristics
Has cancer-directed therapy changed patterns of the incidence and risk of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT) at the VA?
Veterans Receiving Community Care for Prostate Cancer Might Be Overtreated
Has greater use of community care for veterans with prostate cancer meant more overtreatment?
Military/VA Study Finds That Smallpox Vaccination Is Effective Against MPox
The smallpox vaccine appeared to be effective in preventing mpox (formerly called monkeypox) in U.S. military personnel and veterans, even if received more than a decade previously, according to a new report.
Prostate Cancer Outcomes Better for Black, Hispanic Veterans with VHA Care
While a new study found that differences in outcomes from nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) exist based on race and ethnicity, Black and Hispanic men might have considerably improved survival rates when treated in an equal-access setting.
High Serum TARC Levels Predict Hodgkin Lymphoma Years Before Diagnosis
Could high levels of the chemokine TARC produced in tumor cells in classic Hodgkin lymphoma help predict the malignancy?
New VA Podcast Explores Use of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapies for PTSD
Marine and Army veteran Jonathan Leubecky suffered from PTSD and several suicide attempts following deployment to Iraq. His first attempt to take his life was only two months after his return home in 2006.
Initiative Utilizing the VIONE Dashboard Reduces Polypharmacy in Veterans
Polypharmacy, the concurrent use of multiple and often unnecessary medications, poses significant health risks to patients, including frailty, hospital admissions, falls and even mortality.
Gut Microbiome May Hold Potential Early Biomarkers for Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder that affects approximately 1% of the population age 65 and older and an estimated 110, 000 U.S. veterans.
What Happens to Veterans Discontinuing Depression Treatment?
Nearly half of veterans who discontinue treatment for depression end up going back within six months, with reengagement rates higher in those receiving both psychotherapy and antidepressant medications.
Bipolar Veterans Sometimes Struggle to Get Pain Treatment at VA
Bipolar veterans with chronic pain sometimes have problems receiving evidence-based treatment in the VA healthcare system, according to a new study.
No Benefit From Hospital Stay for Some Suicidal Veterans
Hospitalization for patients seeking emergency care immediately after a suicide attempt appeared beneficial, but that was not the case with those who had suicide ideation or whose attempt occurred more than a day before, according to a new study.
Not Just a Bulging Belly: DRA Causes Problems for Military Women
Diastasis recti abdominis (DRA) is a common condition in pregnant and postpartum women, occurring when the rectus abdominis muscles, commonly called the six-pack ab muscles, separate from being stretched.
Cardioprotective Drugs Not Also Used in Patients Needing Them Most
Even though the overall uptake of cardioprotective antihyperglycemic drugs has increased as second-line treatments for Type 2 diabetes mellitus, over the last decade, patients who actually have cardiovascular disease were less likely to be prescribed them compared to those without CVD.
Strict LDL-C Lowering Linked to Diabetes Progression
While some guidelines recommend statin use to achieve low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) goal under 70 mg/dL for primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in patients at higher risk, others recommend against a target LDL-C level.
Glycemic Control Not Affected Much By Neighborhood Factors
How do demographic, social and geographic factors affect glycemic control over time in veterans newly diagnosed with diabetes?
Traumatic Brain Injury Associated With Cognitive Decline in Later Life
In male veterans, having at least one traumatic brain injury is linked to having lower cognitive scores in later life, according to a twin study
VA Caught in Middle Over Scope-of-Practice Disputes Involving Physicians, Others
VA is working to establish a set of national credentials for more than 50 healthcare occupations, allowing the department to transfer care workers more easily from state to state.
VA Trying to Apply ‘Buy American’ to More Pharmaceuticals
During the first year of the pandemic, the nation learned just how susceptible its healthcare system was to supply-chain problems and how relying on overseas manufacturers for pharmaceuticals and medical supplies can be dangerous when shipping lanes slow or stop entirely
Pregnant Veterans Often Discontinue Antidepressants, Monitoring Needed
VA medical providers and veterans need more education about the risks and benefits from continuing antidepressants during pregnancy, according to a new study.
Combat-Related Extremity Amputation Negatively Affects Metabolic Regulation
Although amputations are medically necessary and could decrease pain, improve mobility and expedite return to activity, limb loss could negatively impact metabolic regulation and contribute to a higher risk of obesity, according to a recent military study.
Sustained Virologic Response in HCV Not Lower With Alcohol Use
Traditionally treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been reserved for people who have abstained from alcohol—in some cases for as long as 12 months—largely due to concerns about adherence to treatment protocols, which stemmed from experience with previously used interferon-based regimens.
CLL Patients at the VA Receive Evidence-Based Treatments
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia and small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) are the most common forms of adult leukemia. More than 13,000 veterans have the diagnosis, which is associated with the toxic exposures included in the Pact Act, according to the VA.
B-cell lymphoma Presenting With Cranial Nerve Palsy, Mononeuritis Multiplex
Diagnosing B-cell lymphoma-associated mononeuritis multiplex, a peripheral neuropathy, can be challenging because of its rarity and the potential co-existence of other causes of the symptoms.
Older Age of DLBCL Patients Makes Treatment Challenging
Nearly one-half (49%) of all veterans in the United States are 65 years or older. Most of those older veterans (5.5 million) served during the Vietnam era, while 183,000 were World War II veterans, according to the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS).
