Despite changes in physical training routines and equipment designed to reduce musculoskeletal injuries in servicemembers and veterans, veterans experience back and joint pain at a higher rate than their contemporaries who have never served.
Veterans Surviving COVID-19 at Much Higher Risk of Gastrointestinal Disorders
Survivors of COVID-19 are at heightened risk of developing gastrointestinal (GI) disorders within a year after infection compared with those who were never infected, according to a new study of veterans being treated by the VHA.
Most Servicemembers Hospitalized With Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Have Heat Illness
Most hospitalizations in military servicemembers for exertional rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome of muscle breakdown following exercise, are associated with heat illness and present with lower creatine kinase levels than cases without associated heat illness, according to a recent study.
Advanced Liver Fibrosis Increases Risk of HCC Diagnosis
While it is well-understood that both nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection commonly result in hepatic fibrosis and might lead to cirrhosis, it has not been clear whether advanced fibrosis, determined by measurements of liver stiffness, increases the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in veterans.
Native Americans Diagnosed With More Severe HCC
Native Americans are among the racial/ethnic groups who are more likely to be diagnosed with more-severe hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), according to a new study.
HCC Surveillance Rebounded at VA, Still Low
How did the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic affect hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) surveillance and factors associated with completion at the VA?
VA Spent Millions on HPV-Related Cancer But No Vaccination Promotion
Vaccinations for Veterans, Servicemembers Half of Civilian Rate ST. LOUIS—Eligible active-duty servicemembers and veterans have dramatically lower rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination, placing them at much greater risk of related cancers, according to a new...
Military Surgeons Deployed to Combat Environments Face Moral Injury, Distress
A new VA study may be the first to examine moral injury and distress at the intersection of these populations—that is, military healthcare professionals, specifically surgeons
Higher Melanoma, Other Cancer Rates in Aviators, and Crew Remain a Mystery
Military aviators and the ground crews that service their planes are at a greater risk to develop melanoma and other types of cancer, according to a Pentagon study released last month. Just what factors are contributing to that risk remains unknown, however.
Stimulant Use Could Be a Key Factor in Heart Failure Development
Chronic heart failure affects an estimated 5% of veterans in the VA Health System, and annual mortality in heart failure patients is 15%
HIV Patients Have Worse Long-Term Survival Following Coronary Procedure
The burden of cardiovascular disease among HIV patients has tripled over the past few decades, and cardiovascular mortality has steadily risen.
VA Analysis Sought to Determine Best Approach for Treatment of Alcohol Misuse
A new study sought to determine that. Noting that psychosocial approaches are “the hallmark of treatment for harmful alcohol use,” the report in the journal Addiction added, “We aimed to compare the effectiveness of psychosocial therapy for harmful alcohol use using a network meta-analysis approach.”
Measuring Ability to Resist in Alcohol Abuse Treatment
While about half of patients with alcohol use disorder prefer non-abstinence based approaches to treatment, it is not clear when that approach is beneficial.
Substance Use Disorders Increasing Fastest Among Older Veterans
The past few years have seen significant increases in diagnoses for cannabis and stimulant use disorder at the VA, especially among older adults.
Ovbiagele Focuses on Disparities in Stroke Among Veterans, Others
Many factors play into why some populations have a higher risk of having and dying from a stroke: genetics, blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, access to healthy food, lifestyles that do not allow for regular exercise.
Clinicians Puzzled by Sharp Rise in Colorectal Cancer Patients Younger Than 50
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third-most-common cancer globally and ranks second as the most-common cause of cancer-related mortality.
Primary Tumor Sidedness Increasingly Important in CRC Diagnosis, Treatment
In colorectal cancer, left-sided colorectal cancer (LCC) is associated with better survival compared to right-sided colon cancer (RCC) in metastatic disease, according to a study involving VA researchers.
Vitamin D Supplementation Shows Promise for Reducing Suicide Risk
Supplementation with Vitamin D appeared to be associated with a reduced risk of suicide attempt and self-harm in veterans, especially those who are Black and have low blood serum levels, according to a VA-funded study.
Highly Rural Areas Appear to Have Lower Uptake of COVID-19 Vaccines
Public health officials can better target their message if they better understand where COVID-19 primary and booster vaccine uptake is low. A new VA study suggests that whether the potential recipient lives in a rural or urban area can be an important factor.
New York’s Operation COVID-19 Is Largest Domestic Mobilization in US History
On March 7, 2020, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed Executive Order 202 declaring a state of emergency for the state of New York. Within days, military forces in the state mobilized to respond to the pandemic with the deployment of 270 servicemembers from the New York Army National Guard and Air National Guard to New Rochelle in Westchester County
Survey Examines COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy Among U.S. Soldiers
Soldiers who agree with COVID-19 vaccination effectiveness, safety or importance, as well as soldiers who have an immediate supervisor who encourages them to get the COVID-19 vaccine, are more likely to get vaccinated, according to a new study.
More Treatment Failure Risk in Patients on Antidepressants and Montelukast
Montelukast, a prescription drug used to treat and prevent asthma, can affect antidepressant effectiveness, and initiating the asthma medication in patients already receiving antidepressant maintenance therapy is associated with an increased risk for treatment failure, according to a new study.
Intervention Improves COPD Patients’ Access to Pulmonary Care
Exposure to oil well fires, burn pits and sand and dust particles as well as the use of tobacco products puts veterans at increased risk of lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
New VA/DoD Pain Guideline Urges Buprenorphine Use Over Full Agonist Opioids
Recent VA/DoD guidelines call for new measures to reduce the use of opioid pain relievers in the management of chronic pain, including the preferential use of buprenorphine over full agonist opioids.
Five-Year Survival Rate for Late-Stage Prostate Cancer Is Higher Among MHS Beneficiaries Than for the General Population
Prostate cancer is the third-most-common cancer in men in the U.S. military and the second-leading cause of cancer mortality in U.S. men overall.
Tumor Location Increasingly Important for Determining Optimal CRC Treatments
Traditionally, treatment for colon cancer has been based primarily on the stage, but other issues—especially location—are becoming increasingly important.
VA Participated in Research Examining Major, Minor Colonoscopy Risks
Colonoscopies are not without risk, yet data are limited regarding the procedures’ long-term adverse effects.
Colorectal Cancer Screening Has Changed Significantly in Recent Years
In recent years, the protocols for colorectal cancer screening have undergone some significant changes.
Genetic Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s Found for Those of African Ancestry
VA researchers have discovered several new genetic variants associated with Alzheimer’s disease—the most common form of dementia—in people of African ancestry.
VA Employee Sues Over VA’s Decision to Provide Abortion Services
When VA announced in September that it would be allowing department clinicians to provide abortions and abortion counseling in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, it was widely anticipated that there would be lawsuits from state governments that restrict abortion access.
