Researchers with the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health appear to have solved one of the most perplexing mysteries in medicine: What causes multiple sclerosis (MS)?
Multiple Myeloma Patients Usually Respond Well to COVID-19 Vaccines
While about one-fourth of blood cancer patients failed to produce detectable antibodies after COVID-19 vaccination, those with multiple myeloma fared better than most.
Genetic 17p Deletion Doesn’t Affect MM Survival by Race
African Americans have an increased incidence of multiple myeloma (MM) but do not appear to be at a disadvantage in terms of overall survival, however.
Hormones Affect Sexual Function After AHSCT
How do hormones affect sexual function recovery after autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT), which is the standard of care for younger patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.
COVID-19 Pandemic Hits VHA’s MOVE! Weight-Loss Program Hard
The VHA acted quickly to convert its MOVE! Weight Management Program for Veterans to virtual care using telehealth when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020.
Drilling Down in Past Studies Can Help Individualize Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
One size doesn’t fit all, even when it comes to deciding which Type 2 diabetes patients would derive cardiovascular benefit from intensive glycemic control.
Glitches, Legislative Objections Don’t Stop VA Electronic Record Rollout
VA recently launched its new electronic healthcare record system in a third region, despite evidence of problems with previous deployments and strong objections from legislators and oversight groups.
Using Chemotherapy After Noninvasive Bladder Cancer
Using one dose of intravesical chemotherapy immediately following surgery for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer is recommended in national and international guidelines.
Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer Has Dropped During COVID-19 Pandemic
In 2020, compared with baseline years 2018 through 2019, more than 2,000 fewer bladder cancers were diagnosed in the VA’s healthcare system.
Extracting VA Data on Invasive Bladder Cancer
Bladder cancer is the VA’s fourth-most-diagnosed cancer, and early diagnosis is important because, if the tumor spreads outside the bladder, the five-year survival rate is only about 38%.
VA AIR Report Outdated Because Pandemic Effects Weren’t Considered
Some of the data which the VA used to support the recommendations made in its Asset and Infrastructure Report (AIR) is outdated and flawed, VA leaders recently admitted.
Speech Therapist Finds Way to Make Dining More Dignified at CLCs
For residents of VA’s Community Living Centers, dignity is a precious resource. Patients who are there for short rehab stays may be struggling with new, frustrating limitations.
Tracking How Much COVID-19 Vaccination Was Distributed, Lost in Early Rush
In an effort to improve future efforts, data has been made available on initial COVID-19 vaccine shipments and wastage across the United States, which occurred shortly after those vaccines became available.
Safety Procedures Aren’t Always Followed at DHA Facilities
Dez Del Barba was only a short way into Army basic training at Fort Benning, GA, when he began to experience escalating pain in both legs. Physicians wrote it off as simple muscle soreness.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea in Aging Women Tends to Differ From Men
Obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder associated with persistent collapse or narrowing of the upper airway during sleep, has been linked to several detrimental outcomes including excessive daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, neurocognitive decline and metabolic disorders.
Smoking History Affects Overall Survival in Women With Breast Cancer
Largely because of its association with conditions such as lung cancer and cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, with about 480,000 deaths each year attributable to the habit.
Future Employers Might Not Know About Problem Clinicians Fired by VA
A recent investigation by the VA Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found widespread noncompliance by VA facilities in reporting healthcare professionals whose conduct or incompetence led them to be fired to state licensing boards (SLB) or the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB).
Costs of Severe Drug Reactions Resulting in Hospitalization at the VHA
Each year, approximately 2 million serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) occur in the U.S. and are responsible for around 100,000 deaths, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
Niacin Supplements Appear to Help PD Motor Function
Can niacin supplementation improve motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients?
Altered Cholinergic Innervation in New Parkinson’s Patients
While evidence is strong that altered cholinergic innervation plays a key role in cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease (PD), at least in advanced stages, less is known about the relationship between cognitive impairment and cholinergic innervation early in the disease.
Adverse Events Predict Cognitive Decline After Brain Stimulation
In a small subset of Parkinson’s disease patients, deep brain stimulation is linked to statistically and clinically significant cognitive declines.
Veterans Suffered Myriad Mental Health Outcomes After COVID-19 Infection
More than two years into the pandemic, studies are showing the long-term effects COVID-19 can have on the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organ systems.
Chronic Inflammation in mTBI Affects Sleep Quality
Occurring immediately after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), elevations of inflammatory cytokine levels can persist for years and are associated with neuropsychological outcomes, including depression and PTSD symptoms.
Daily Physical Activity Helps Less Serious Insomnia
An often recommended lifestyle intervention for insomnia is physical activity (PA). It is not clear, however, that more activity benefits patients across the range of insomnia severity.
Anger Contributes to PTSD Sleep Disorders
Anger is a major contributor to sleep problems among military servicemembers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Milwaukee Nurse Identified Syringe Problem That Led to Recall
In August 2021, the medical device manufacturer Cardinal Health recalled approximately 267 million of their prefilled saline syringes. The syringes had been found to reintroduce air into the syringe after it had been expelled, which could have resulted in the injection of air into blood vessels, leading to serious injury or death.
Older Black, Hispanic Veterans Much More Likely to Get Dementia Diagnosis
The incidence of dementia varies significantly by race and ethnicity among older adults receiving care at VHA medical centers, according to a new study. Why that occurs was not immediately clear, however.
VA Continues Inconsistent Measurement of Veteran Wait Times for Care
On its website, VA regularly reports misleading information on how long it takes for a veteran to be seen at its facilities, according to a recent VA Inspector’s General report. That can lead to confusion among veterans and anyone researching wait times, it added.
VA Leads Nation in Developing Valuation System for Health Care Innovation
The VA introduced a new value-driven framework for evaluating health care innovations in conjunction with the Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) meeting in March.
Repeat Lung-Cancer Screening Continues to Fall Behind for Rural Veterans
Repeat lung cancer screening lags among rural veterans and could help explain known disparities in outcomes, according to a new study.
