While more than half of U.S. veterans diagnosed with hypertension with a pretreatment systolic BP ≥160 mm Hg were started on antihypertensive monotherapy, disparities existed between guideline-recommended first-line treatments and the actual regimens initiated, according to a new study.
Audit, Feedback Increase HF Medication Management by VA Pharmacists
Giving more active feedback to primary care pharmacists about their heart failure patients led to more interactions and a greater number of medication adjustments, according to a presentation at a recent conference.
Veterans Receiving Educational Materials, More Likely to Deprescribe Problematic Medications
Sending patient-directed educational materials prior to primary care visits proved to be an effective, low-tech intervention to increase deprescribing of potentially low-value and high-risk medications, according to a new VA study.
Alternative Prostate Cancer Screening Guidelines for U.S. Black Men
In the United States, Black men are at highest risk for being diagnosed with and dying from prostate cancer.
Review Authors Urge More Genetic Testing of BRCA for Male Cancer Patients
Even though half of all carriers of inherited cancer-predisposing variants in BRCA1 and BRCA2 are male, the implications for their health tend to be under-recognized compared to females, according to a new study.
Prescription Medications Affect Survival Rates in Metastatic Prostate Cancer
How do prescription medications affect overall survival in metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer?
Study: High-Frequency Ultrasound Better as Supplementary Tool for Tumor ID
High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) can safely and efficiently visualize cutaneous tumor characteristics including depth, but how accurate is it?
Initiative Utilizing the VIONE Dashboard Reduces Polypharmacy in Veterans
Polypharmacy, the concurrent use of multiple and often unnecessary medications, poses significant health risks to patients, including frailty, hospital admissions, falls and even mortality.
Which T2D Drug Class Prevents CVD Best in Patients Without Previous Disease?
In 2020, in its annual revision of the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) made some significant changes in recommendations.
Diabetes Drug Metformin Shows Promise for Reducing Incident Osteoarthritis
Metformin is recommended as first-line therapy for Type 2 diabetes at the VA and elsewhere. Among the benefits, according to the VA PBM, is that the drug, which has been in use for decades, is low-cost and safe to initiate in most patients, even those with moderate renal dysfunction.
Vitamin D Supplementation Shows Promise for Reducing Suicide Risk
Supplementation with Vitamin D appeared to be associated with a reduced risk of suicide attempt and self-harm in veterans, especially those who are Black and have low blood serum levels, according to a VA-funded study.
Centralized Process Ensures Equitable Distribution of Emergency-Use Authorization Medications in the VHA
Treatments used under emergency-use authorizations (EUA) have led to significant reductions in morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic, but ensuring their safe use in the people who could stand to benefit the most from them is a formidable task
Similar Cardiovascular Outcomes Found in Veterans Treated With Two Common Blood Pressure Medications — Chlorthalidone and Hydrochlorothiazide
In “surprising” results, two common diuretics used to control blood pressure, chlorthalidone and hydrochlorothiazide, had no differences in outcomes for cardiovascular events, including death, in veteran patients, according to a new study.
Intra-Articular NSAIDs Might Be Future OA Treatment
Are intra-articular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs a viable option for treatment of osteoarthritis in adults?
New BTK Inhibitor Extends Progression-Free Survival in CLL
A late-breaking presentation at the 64th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting in New Orleans on Dec. 13 demonstrated that zanubrutinib outperformed ibrutinib in terms of both objective response rate and progression-free survival for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL).
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.
What Factors Help Decrease Benzodiazepine Prescriptions in Older Veterans?
Benzodiazepines, including alprazolam (Xanax) and clonazepam (Klonopin), are among the most commonly prescribed drugs for anxiety and sleep disorders. They also carry a significant risk of side effects.
Ground-breaking Study in U.S. Military Finds Link Between MS, Epstein-Barr Virus
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)?
Choosing the Appropriate Treatment for Fragile Patients with RCC
Targeted therapies have vastly improved survival in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), despite not offering a cure for many patients. More problematically, patients often develop resistance to the drugs.
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.
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.
Why Do Cataract, TKA Surgeries Often Cost More at VA vs. Outside Care?
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.
Ann Arbor VAMC Rapidly Stands Up Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Service
As emergency departments around the country struggled to get through the day during the recurrent surges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the emergency medicine team at the LTC Charles S. Kettles VAMC here did something extraordinary—they sought out more patients to treat.
Stimulants, Drug Mixes Play Increasing Role in Fatal Overdoses
Fatal drug overdoses have surpassed automobile accidents in recent years as the leading cause of accidental death and, despite efforts to reverse that trend, the number of overdoses is rising.
VA Studies Seek to Find Balance in Antibiotic Duration for Male UTI Treatment
Urinary tract infection is one of the diagnoses for which antibiotics are most commonly used. So, a study determining that shorter duration treatment works as well as a longer course of antibiotics can have an outsized effect on reducing overuse of antimicrobials.
Levothyroxine Therapy Overused in Patients With Sub-clinical Hypothyroidism
An ongoing problem in treating hypothyroidism is dealing with patients who fall into the sub-clinical category. The result is that more than half of U.S. patients initiating levothyroxine therapy in a 10-year period failed to meet the threshold for benefit, according to a new study.
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.
SGLT2 Inhibitor Use Lower Among Women, Minorities
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors significantly reduce deaths from cardiovascular conditions, hospitalizations for heart failure and progression of kidney disease among patients with Type 2 diabetes
COVID-19 Pandemic Put Spotlight on VA’s Critical Supply Chain Problems
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored VA’s lack of a comprehensive supply chain management program, and agency officials once again defended their progress before Congress.
Too Many Veterans With HIV Prescribed Inappropriate BP Medications
HIV patients on anti-retroviral therapy are at increased risk for cardiovascular events, heightening the importance of preventive care. Now, new research has found that selection of blood pressure medication is critically important for this group and can have a significant effect on risk of cardiovascular events or even death.
