The most common form of cancer, nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) — composed primarily of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma — affects about 3.3 million people annually.
Paradoxical Bronchospasm Might Go Unrecognized at VHA Facilities
It is rare, but inhaled short-acting β2-adrenergic agonists can elicit paradoxical bronchospasm (PB), which may be fatal. A new study raised concerns that the condition might be unrecognized at the VHA.
What Affects COPD Patients’ Response to Home Pollution
How COPD patients respond to particulate pollution based on personal characteristics and systemic responses is not well characterized. That’s why a new study sought to find out.
Factors Affecting Which COPD Patients Complete Pulmonary Rehab
Which veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are likely to participate in and complete a pulmonary rehabilitation program?
Hardin’s Mission Is Keeping Veterans Out of Criminal Justice System
Any interaction with the criminal justice system can be a frightening, confusing experience for those being charged. It can be especially difficult to navigate for men and women who are homeless or struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues.
Expanded Role for MTFs Could Improve Obstetric Care in Underserved U.S. Areas
If military treatment facilities offered emergency cesarean delivery and other high-quality obstetric care to civilians in underserved areas of the United States, according to a new study, it would not only significantly improve the health of expectant mothers and their babies but also potentially improve military readiness.
Repeat Lung-Cancer Screening Lags for Rural Veterans
Repeat lung cancer screening lags among rural veterans and could help explain known disparities in outcomes, according to a new study.
Military, Veterans More Likely to Get Most Cancer Screening
While cancer diagnoses are disproportionately high among VA patients, the cause does not appear to be inadequate screening, according to a new study.
VHA Has Better Noncardiac Surgical Outcomes Than Private Sector Hospitals
Perioperative outcomes at the VHA are consistently better than those in private sector hospitals, according to a new study.
Gout Associated With Slightly Decreased Risk of Glaucoma
How does a history of gout or arthritis due to hyperuricemia affect the development of the ocular neurodegenerative condition glaucoma?
Dry Eye Worse in Veterans With GWI
Veterans with Gulf War illness (GWI) have more severe dry eye (DE) symptoms, including neuropathic eye pain questionnaire scores, when compared to those who served during the Gulf War but did not meet criteria for GWI.
Costs of Cataract, Other Surgeries at VA Vs. Outside Care
A new study raises questions about which veterans requiring cataract and total knee replacement surgeries received community care, as opposed to the cases kept within the VA system.
VA OIG Questions VA’s Data on Ability to Provide Specialty Healthcare
Part of the VA MISSION Act of 2018 required VA to conduct a nationwide audit of its healthcare system’s capacity, identify gaps in care and make recommendations for modernizing or realigning VA facilities to fill those gaps.
Smoking After Lung Cancer Surgery Cuts Survival
Continuing to smoke after surgical treatment for lung cancer has a strong detrimental effect on overall survival, according to a new veterans’ study.
Conference Highlights Concerns About Increased CV Risk Factors in Veterans
New research is adding to the evidence that veterans are at increased risk for cardiometabolic conditions and poor cardiovascular outcomes.
Shingles Vaccination Rates Struggle to Improve at VA
Efforts to promote use of a vaccine against herpes zoster, commonly called shingles, have been fraught with difficulty.
Receipt of Multiple Vaccines Lessens Dementia Risk
Are older adults who receive both herpes zoster (HZ) and a tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap) vaccine less likely to experience cognitive issues than seniors who receive only one or the other vaccine?
VA Gets Approval for 10th Information Technology Chief in Last Decade
VA’s new assistant secretary for the Office of Information Technology and Chief Information Officer is the 10th executive to serve in that post in as many years.
Criticism Continues About VA’s Handling of Military Sexual Trauma Claims
Has the VA improved its process of dealing with military sexual trauma, or are errors resulting in veterans being denied the care they need?
McDonough Denies That Veterans Are Improperly Refused Community Care
Media reports that veterans were being denied community care for financial reasons once again raised questions about how the Mission Act is being administered.
Clinical Implications of Risk Stratification in Prostate Cancer
Low-volume, nonlocalized prostate cancer that was occult on conventional imaging often can be detected with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT).
How PSA Testing Affects Prostate Cancer in Young African-American Men
Younger African-American men are at high risk of prostate cancer but tend to be underrepresented in clinical trials related to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, according to a new study.
How one VAMC Pharmacy Implemented Gravimetric IV Workflow Technology
For years, the Institute of Safe Medical Practices and other safety groups have been staunch advocates of technology solutions such as gravimetric verification of drug and diluent volumes and have strongly encouraged their implementation to augment manual processes and provide additional safeguards during sterile compounding.
Does Prostate Size Matter for Cancer Surgery Outcomes?
How does the size of prostates affect outcomes from prostate cancer surgery.
Adding Lithium Doesn’t Reduce Suicide-Related Events in Veterans
For more than a decade, suicide rates have been consistently higher among veterans than non-veterans, and, since 2005, the suicide rate has risen faster among veterans than it has for nonveteran adults.
VA Secretary Warns of Hard Conversations Ahead on Agency Resources
VA Secretary Denis McDonough vowed to legislators that the agency will use the lessons it learned during COVID-19 to make the agency stronger going forward.
Premature Cognitive Decline Found in Young Veterans with mTBI
Between 2000 and 2018, approximately 430,000 active-duty servicemembers suffered head injuries.
VA Study: TNF Inhibitors Have Potential Long-Term Effect on Dementia Risk
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a global health problem for which there are no disease-modifying therapies.
Military Researchers Strongly Urge Curbing Steroid Use in IBD Patients
Finding alternatives to steroids in treating inflammatory bowel disease has taken on new urgency with the COVID-19 pandemic.
VA Demonstrates System’s Leadership in Blood Cancers at ASH
VA researchers provided a glimpse of the department’s commitment to addressing blood cancers in veterans and taking a lead in the battle nationally at the 63rd American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in Atlanta.
