While the last decade has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of veterans who are homeless on any given night, that trend has stalled in the last two years with numbers, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, starting to move upward again.
Study Finds CDK4/6 Pathway Could Be Bladder Cancer Treatment Target
The cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 pathway appears feasible as a potential target for the treatment of bladder cancer, according to a new study.
High Failure Rate of BCG Therapy Creates Challenges for VA Clinicians
In Bacillus Calmette Guerin intravesical immunotherapy treatment, medication is inserted directly into the bladder through a catheter. Yet, although BCG is the main immunotherapy used to treat early-stage bladder cancer, it has high failure rates.
Intensive Glycemic Control Not Eye-Protective in Advanced Diabetes
Intensive glycemic control (INT) does not appear to have a protective effect when it comes to required eye procedures in patients with advanced diabetes.
Dulaglutide Might Reduce Erectile Dysfunction in T2D Patients
Even though diabetes is a major risk factor for erectile dysfunction, the effect of GLP-1 receptor agonists on erectile dysfunction remains unclear.
Defense Health Agency’s COVID-19 Vaccine Research Sparks Controversy
Research on rare adverse effects from COVID-19 vaccines has thrust the military into the center of the rancorous controversy about vaccination safety, causing some Congress members to question whether immunization against novel coronavirus should be required by the nation’s uniformed services.
Antimuscarinic Agents Up Diabetes Risk in Female MHS Patients
Are drugs used to treat overactive bladders a risk factor for development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)?
VA Hospitals Outperform Others in COPD Readmission, Mortality Rates
In the last decade, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) have prioritized reducing avoidable hospital readmissions.
Care of Servicemembers With Chronic Pain Hampered by Limited Research
While it’s been long understood that servicemembers suffer from chronic pain at higher rates than their civilian counterparts, a new study by the RAND Corp. has found that a lack of administrative data and a dearth of research into treatments limits how successfully that pain can be treated.
Alzheimer’s, Related Dementias Increase Veterans’ Homelessness Risk
Homelessness is a persistent problem among a subset of U.S. veterans, and neurological and psychiatric conditions often play a role.
Pulse Wave Velocity Helps Assess Alzheimer’s Risk Factor
While arterial stiffening is increasingly considered an important risk factor for Alzheimers disease (AD) and related dementias, the mechanisms behind that have been poorly understood.
Blood Screening Tool Increases Alzheimer’s Trial’s Diversity
Mexican American patients often aren’t participants in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) clinical research, according to a new study that suggests more efficient screening tools could change that.
VA Cancer Chief on a Mission to Increase Precision Oncology Use
Michael Kelley, MD, is on a mission, speaking to VA physicians across the country, spreading the word about precision oncology.
ICPI Add-On to Chemotherapy Continues to Improve SCLC Survival Rates
According to the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 14.6% of veterans enrolled for VHA care reported being a current cigarette smoker in 2018.
Corticosteroids Don’t Appear to Affect Treatment Response in SCLC
Does corticosteroid use affects treatment response to chemotherapy and immune-checkpoint inhibitors (CICPIs) in some types of advanced lung cancer.
Inherited Predisposition Could Change Small Cell Lung Cancer Treatment
A new study involving federal medicine researchers raised the question of whether small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an inherited predisposition. The answer is important because it opens the possibility of using targeted therapies based on the genes involved.
Older Veterans Present Special Challenges for Prostate Cancer Treatment
About 38% of the patients receiving care at the VA’s healthcare system served in the military during the Vietnam War era and have an average age fast approaching 70.
Prostate Cancer Treatment Options Significantly Expand for Veterans
The 15,000 veterans who will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2021 have access to more and better treatments than ever.
VA Researchers Battle to Lower Prostate Cancer Death Rate in Black Veterans
When the Prostate Cancer Foundation entered into a partnership with the VA to fight the common condition, an added benefit was the stepped-up effort to increase the number of minority patients enrolled in PCF studies.
Prostate Cancer Care at VA Changed Significantly in Last Decade
Over the past decade, how prostate cancer is detected and treated at VA healthcare facilities has changed gradually but significantly.
VA’s Tele-Oncology Services Proved Beneficial During COVID-19 Shutdowns
Prior to the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, 2,749 face-to-face visits for medical oncology and 5,093 visits for radiation oncology occurred at the Ann Arbor, MI, VAMC from June 2019 to December 2019.
Best Strategies Determined for Stage 1 NSCLC in Veterans
What is the best strategy for managing veterans with stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer with co-morbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or coronary artery disease?
Metformin Shows Promise in Treating Asthma-COPD Combination
A common diabetes drug has been shown to improve respiratory outcomes in asthma but its effects on COPD and the combination of asthma and COPD remained unknown.
WRAIR Tests Vaccine for COVID-19—and Future Pathogens
At Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, flexibility has been the watchword of the last 18 months. The team at WRAIR pivoted quickly from other work to focus on developing a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 as soon as the scientific community had access to the full genome in January 2020.
Military Survey Shows Preferences for HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Delivery
Use of pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent human immunodeficiency virus transmission remains relatively low for U.S. military servicemembers. New research suggests, however, that better understanding their treatment preferences could increase uptake.
Veterans With HIV Are Diagnosed With Heart Failure Earlier Than Those Without
Individuals infected with HIV have up to twice the risk of cardiovascular disease and an increased risk of heart failure (HF) compared to those without HIV
No Racial Disparity in Multiple Myeloma Treatment at VA
While recent studies have identified a significant and increasing disparity in survival among African American and Caucasian patients diagnosed with multiple myeloma in the United States, that does not appear to be the case at the VA.
Red Blood Cell Changes and Exercise in Veterans with GWI
Some types of altered red blood cells can affect patients’ ability to safely exert themselves. It has been unknown, however, whether that was the case with altered red blood cell (RBC) deformability reported in veterans with Gulf War Illness (GWI).
For Veterans with CLL, More Options Mean More Hope
Over the last decade, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved 19 new drugs or combinations to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia.
CLL Survival Is Steadily Improving, but Adverse Effects Remain Challenging
As with most cancer, overall survival in chronic lymphocytic leukemia has steadily risen over the past two decades. New agents play an important role in that improvement, but they also require additional training and close attention to different types of adverse effects.
