ST. LOUIS—Use of metformin for Type 2 diabetes significantly reduces the risk of dementia among African American male veterans older than 50, according to a large observational cohort study.
New Biomarker for MS Discovered; Could Replace MRI for Detection
BALTIMORE—A University of Maryland research team has discovered a biomarker that can determine whether a patients has multiple sclerosis or is relapsing, thanks to VA funding.
Decompensated Diabetes More Common in Certain Racial, Age Groups
ATLANTA—Which diabetes patients are most likely to have decompensated diabetes, defined as diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state?
Tight Glycemic Control Increases Fracture Risk in Veterans with Diabetes
DURHAM, NC — Diabetes mellitus among older men has been associated with increased bone mineral density but paradoxically increased fracture risk, according to a study in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research.1
Debate Continues on Esketamine Efficacy and Safety for Depression Treatment
PHILADELPHIA—Is esketamine a revolutionary treatment for depression or just another moderately effective adjunctive medication with some potentially serious risks? The VA’s Medical Advisory Panel leaned toward the latter position when it decided in June to approve the use of esketamine on a nonformulary basis for individuals who have previously failed at least two trials of other antidepressants.
Army Doctor’s Unique Training Helps Improve Battlefield Medicine
SAN ANTONIO— Col. Andrew Cap, the division chief of Acute Combat Casualty Research at the Army Institute of Surgical Research, admits that he’s the last person you want to ask for advice on how to plan out a career in medical research.
VA Researcher Seeks to Include Veterans’ Voices in Healthcare Decisions
SEATTLE—It’s a big job to ensure that VA’s healthcare system is equipped to provide the best possible care to veterans. It might be an even bigger job to make sure that veterans across the country have access to that care. As VA looks into new ways of getting veterans...
First-Ever Study Focuses on How Well VHA Cares for TIA Patients
INDIANAPOLIS — While many healthcare systems measure the quality of their stroke care, looking at performance early in the vascular disease process can help avoid acute events altogether.
Link Between Pain, Brain Disruption in Gulf War Veterans
MADISON, WI — Chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) affects about one-fourth of the 700,000 veterans deployed during the Persian Gulf War in 1990-1991. A study in the journal Pain pointed out that the cause of their pain is unknown, and no efficacious treatments...
Early Relapse After AHCT Bad Sign in Multiple Myeloma
ROCHESTER, MN — Duration of initial disease response remains a strong prognostic factor in multiple myeloma (MM), especially for upfront autologous hematopoietic cell transplant (AHCT) recipients. A study in the journal Leukemia hypothesized that new drug...
VA Patients Lack Testing to Optimize CLL Treatment
SALT LAKE CITY — The presence of deletion 17p (del17), determined by chromosome analysis and/or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), is a strong negative prognostic marker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a report in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.1
Laparoscopic, Robotic Surgeries Equivalent for Pancreatic Cancer
Pancreatic cancer patients increasingly are receiving minimally invasive pancreaticoduodenectomy (MIPD).
