Is thyroid nodule surveillance compliance affected by patient demographics or plan type? That was the question addressed in the recent retrospective case series from 2010 to 2018.
Higher Subclinical Papillary Thyroid Cancer Rates Not Found in Middle Age
How does age affect underlying subclinical papillary thyroid cancer (PTC)? A meta-analysis of autopsy studies investigated how subclinical PTC prevalence changes over the lifetime.
Should All Thyroid Incidentalomas Be Evaluated?
It is not unusual for a clinician to identify thyroid incidentalomas on non-thyroid dedicated imaging studies. However, discovered, clinical guidelines recommend evaluation of all thyroid incidentalomas to risk-stratify for cancer.
VHA Data: Migraine Is a Commonly Treated Condition Among Veterans
Migraine is a commonly treated condition at the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA), with more than half-million veterans being diagnosed during a 12-year study period, according to a recent study.
COVID-19 Can Lead to Long-term Neurologic Disorders; Even Veterans With Mild Illness Could Be Affected
Patients face an increased risk of long-term neurologic conditions after suffering from COVID-19, including stroke, cognition and memory disorders, nervous system disorders, mental health disorders and more, according to a study examining the long-term effects of COVID-19.
Military Study: Biomarkers Can Identify Risk for TBI-Related Dementia
Several studies have found a link between traumatic brain injury (TBI) and an increased likelihood of late-life dementia. The mechanisms driving the relationship have remained elusive, however.
Model Helps Predict Mortality Prognosis for AD, Dementia Patients
Dementia is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and is associated with increased mortality risk.
Glitazones Decrease Risk of Alzheimer’s, Other Dementia in Veterans’ Study
The risk of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease, appeared to be reduced in veterans prescribed an older class of type 2 diabetes drugs, glitazones.
Adjuvant Chemotherapy for All Stage II or III NSCLC? VA Study Urges Caution
Patients with non-metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) face a substantial risk of recurrence and death from the disease even after potentially curative surgical resection.
Dietician Mary Julius Champions VA’s Virtual Diabetes Education Program
When Mary Julius was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1974, the world was a very different place. There were only approximately 4.5 million Americans who had been diagnosed with diabetes.
DoD and VA Update Guideline for Management of Major Depressive Disorder
Expansion of interventional psychiatry and updated algorithms to help guide physicians in making choices about therapies for depression are among important updates included in the newly revised 2022 VA-DoD Clinical Practice Guideline for Management of Major Depressive Disorder.
Association Found Between Battlefield TBI, Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) was common among U.S. servicemembers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, with up to 20% sustaining at least one TBI. Although the survival rate for such injury was high, research has suggested TBI is associated with a wide variety of adverse effects, including dementia, epilepsy and mental health conditions.
Smokers With Preserved Lung Function Not Helped by Dual Bronchodilators
Long-term smokers often have serious respiratory symptoms, but without airflow obstruction. A new study questioned whether those patients should be treated with drugs used for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Pandemic Didn’t Delay Colonoscopies for Veterans With ‘Red Flag’ Symptoms
Concerns have been raised over the past few years that, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, VHA patients with “red flag signs or symptoms” of colorectal cancer (CRC) did not receive prompt colonoscopy workups.
Hepatitis C Drugs Show Promise in Reducing PTSD Symptoms in Veterans
Direct-acting antivirals used in the treatment of the hepatitis C virus might improve symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), potentially offering a new therapeutic option for a prevalent disease with few approved medications, according to a new study.
VA Program Successfully Reduces Post-Operative Opioid Prescriptions
Drug overdose is the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. For many, initial exposure to opioids occurs in the hospital following surgery, and current studies show that up to 75% of post-operative patients have unused opioid pills after discharge.
Overall Prescriptions Are Low at VHA for CVD, CKD Protective Diabetes Drugs
Even though novel therapies for type 2 diabetes have been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease progression, VHA prescription rates remain low.
Second COVID Booster Significantly Protected Nursing Home Residents
Among nearly 10,000 nursing home residents in the United States included in a recent VA-led study, second mRNA COVID-19 vaccine booster doses provided significant additional protection over first booster doses against severe COVID-19 outcomes, even though the Omicron variants were emerging.
Grants Could Help Lower Suicides Among Native American Veterans
VA recently announced that it has awarded $52 million in grants to 80 community-based organizations to deliver or coordinate suicide prevention programs and services for veterans and their family members.
VA Patients Not Told About Risks of COVID-19 Drug Remdesivir Under EUA
VA failed to provide many COVID-19 patients with all the required information when prescribing them remdesivir, according to a recent VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report.
Intimate Partner Violence More Common With Veterans, Military Personnel
VA should be doing more to identify and support victims of intimate partner violence (IPV), according to a recent VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report that also maintained that programs already in place are inconsistently implemented.
Many Veterans are Hesitant to Seek Help for Sleep Problems, Alcohol Abuse
Military service and trauma have been linked to an increased risk for substance abuse and mental health disorders. Yet research suggests a lack of willingness to seek treatment for these problems keeps many veterans from getting the help they need.
Recommendations Could Standardize Care for VA Patients With AML, CLL
The VA has committed to providing quality oncology care, with the establishment of the National Oncology Program and a system of excellence designed to spread best practices in cancer care to VA facilities around the country.
VA Research Provides Insight into Quality of Life After Blood, Marrow Transplant
Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) face difficult choices if their cancer recurs. Without treatment, survival is a matter of months.
Achieving Treatment-Free Remission in CML: Best Approaches, Best Candidates
In less than two decades, the advent of targeted therapies transformed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) from a death sentence with a five-year survival rate of just 22% to a chronic condition with five-year survival exceeding 90%.
VA Researchers Develop AI-based Tool to Predict Post-transplant Relapse in AML
Despite advances in treatment, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains the most deadly blood malignancy, with a five-year survival rate of 26% for people over age 20.
VA Announces Decrease in Veteran Suicide Rate for Second Year
For the second year in a row, veteran suicides decreased in 2020, and fewer veterans died by their own hand in 2020 than in any year since 2006, according to the VA.
Healthcare Providers Urged to Increase Firearm Safety Counseling With Veterans
Most, 70%, of suicides among U.S. veterans are due to firearm injury. Yet, according to a new study, not enough veterans are taking advantage of the opportunity to discuss firearm safety with their healthcare providers.
Nonprofit Group: VA Undercounted Thousands of Veteran Suicides
The same week that VA announced a decrease in the national veteran suicide rate, early results from an independent study suggested that the department has been drastically undercounting the total number of veteran suicides for years.
Veterans Receiving Cancer Diagnoses Have Increased Suicide Risks
Research has shown that a cancer diagnosis is associated with an increased risk of suicide, which might be attributed in part to factors such as interpersonal struggles, hopelessness, physical pain and strain, financial distress and relationship changes.
