A disorder related to military service in the 1991 Gulf War (GW), Gulf War illness (GWI)/Chronic Multisymptom Illness (CMI) includes symptoms such as fatigue, pain and cognitive dysfunction.
Herpes Zoster Infection Doesn’t Increase Parkinson’s Risk
Some researchers have postulated for years that systemic infections are associated with development of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Recent studies on the relationship between herpes zoster (HZ) and PD have been conflicting, however.
VA Resource Crunch Less Than Feared With PACT Act-Related Enrollment Surge
The VA is experiencing less of a resource crunch this year due to the PACT Act-related surge than previously expected, according to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. He gave the credit to early planning and increased hiring.
VA Has Low Rates of Preoperative Life-Sustaining Treatment Documentation
Surgery is a significant healthcare event that necessitates timely planning for goals of care (GOC), involving discussions about one’s current values, aspirations and treatment preferences.
Bramhall Works to Resolve Common Hearing Loss in Military Veterans
It’s such a common ailment among veterans that it’s almost a given: If you served any time in the military, you’re walking out with some type of hearing problem. That usually presents as hearing loss or tinnitus—a persistent ringing sound in the ears.
Many Patients with Limited Life Expectancy Choose to Undergo Lung Cancer Screening
Lung cancer screening has the potential to save lives by catching lung cancer at an early stage with definitive treatment. But it also carries potential harms—including overdiagnosis, distress from false-positive results and complications of further testing. For some people, those downsides can outweigh any benefits.
Women Veterans Receiving Surgery at the VHA Have Half the Risk of Mortality
Only 11% of U.S. military veterans are women, according to recent statistics, and they make up even a smaller percentage of patients using VA healthcare—about 10%.
Navy Investigates Sailor Suicides; Exacerbated by Shipyard Maintenance Periods
The Navy has been under public scrutiny in recent years after experiencing a rash of suicides aboard multiple ships, many of them undergoing maintenance at shipyards.
VA Seeks ‘Maintenance Budget’ After Record Growth in Enrollment, Hiring
While VA’s proposed budget represents a 10% increase from last year, it includes decreases in key areas like hiring and infrastructure.
It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end
My wife, Pam, and I have just completed a 413 nautical-mile sail from Key Biscayne, Florida, to Hilton Head, South Carolina, on our Lagoon 42 – Shavasana. It is our most extended passage so far and the furthest out in the Atlantic Ocean we have ventured. We are headed back north towards the Chesapeake Bay and had a weather window that allowed us to sail into the Gulf Stream and ride that fabled ocean river north. The two to three knots of push make for some incredible boat speed over the ground, and we were often logging 8 to 10 knots with stern winds and following seas. From a sailor’s perspective, that is fast. I imagine the powerboat enthusiasts shaking their heads and smiling at such pitiful velocities.
Clearing Up the Types of Kidney Cancer
Renal cell carcinoma is not the only type of kidney cancer, although it does account for 9 out of 10 cases. About 5% of kidney cancer patients have transitional cell or urothelial carcinoma, which start at the point where the ureters meet the kidneys, the lining of the renal pelvis.
Higher Risk of Dementia Found in Veterans With Housing Instability
Veterans who experience housing instability have an elevated risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia compared to those with stable housing, according to a recent study.
Renal Cell Carcinoma Continues to Rise Worldwide; More Common in Veterans
Kidney cases continue to rise nationwide, with more than 81,600 individuals expected to be diagnosed with the disease by year-end, the American Cancer Society estimates.
Selecting First-Line Therapy in Advanced Renal Cell Carcinoma
The rapid expansion of treatment options for advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in the last decade has improved survival rates and brought hope to the one-third of RCC patients diagnosed with Stage IV cancer.
New Therapies Have Improved Survival for Prostate Cancer Patients
Improved treatment has meant better overall survival for many men diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a new research letter. For older patients, however, the benefits of the new therapies weren’t as effective, the authors pointed out.
GOP Lawmakers Challenge Data That COVID-19 Vaccine Protected Troops
Recent data from DoD seems to confirm what researchers and physicians have been saying for years—that individuals who receive the COVID-19 vaccine are less likely to experience long-term health effects than those who do not.
HCC Tumor Recurrence After Radiologic Responses
How often does local recurrence occur in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients who undergo selective transarterial radioembolisation (TARE) or transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) and achieve a complete response (CR) radiologically?
Biomarkers Help Predict Which Cirrhosis Patients Develop HCC
It can be difficult to determine which patients with cirrhosis will go on to develop hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Intravenous Ketamine Treatment Improves Depression in Veterans
Veterans who received intravenous ketamine treatments had improved symptoms of depression within the first 6 weeks, and these improvements were sustained over at least 6 months with decreasing infusion frequency, according to a recent study.
Accelerated PACT Timeline Opens VA Healthcare to Many More Veterans
VA has dramatically accelerated the healthcare provision of the PACT Act, opening healthcare enrollment to hundreds of thousands of veterans who might have been exposed to toxic substances during their service.
Younger Veterans With Mild TBI Appear to Be at Higher Alzheimer’s Risk
Do concussions caused by explosive battlefield blasts increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD)?
VA Study Implicates High Levels of IL-6 in Long QT Syndrome
Long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac disorder that predisposes patients to malignant arrhythmias, particularly Torsades de Pointes ventricular tachycardia, which can degenerate to cardiac arrest.
Misclassification Affects Estimates of Opioid-Use Disorder Medications
Is misclassification of people who inject drugs (PWID) and are hospitalized because of infections affecting the analysis of outcomes from medications for opioid-use disorder (MOUD?
Long-Acting Benzodiazepines Best for Alcohol Withdrawal in Veterans
An extensive study of VA patients concluded that the best way to manage alcohol withdrawal in hospitalized settings is the use of long-acting benzodiazepines with symptom-triggered therapy, as recommended in American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) guidelines.
Study: Racism Contributes to Low OUD Prescribing in MHS
Rates of prescribing for medication for opioid-use disorder (MOUD) are low in the MHS and show evidence of institutional racism, according to a new study.
Higher Cardiorespiratory Fitness Linked to Improved CABG Survival in Veterans
Having higher cardiorespiratory fitness scores or being in better physical condition are linked to improved long-term survival in U.S. veterans after coronary artery bypass graft surgery, according to a recent study.
Sometimes interesting paths create interesting people
One of the best aspects of the sailing lifestyle is discovering new anchorages and meeting the local people. Recently, after a spectacular downwind sail with consistent 10-15 knot winds off the starboard quarter (what sailors mean by fair winds and following seas), we dropped our hook at Boot Key in Marathon, Florida. Marathon is home to The Turtle Hospital, a fascinating non-profit organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sea turtles. Sea turtles are Shavasana’s (our Lagoon 42 sailing catamaran) ‘spirit’ animal, and a graphic of five sea turtles graces our bows. Pam and I felt a visit to the Turtle Hospital a must. We were not disappointed and recommend a tour of this fascinating facility if you happen to be traveling the Florida Keys.
Better Understanding of What Patients Want from Breast Reconstruction Surgery
As many as 40% of breast cancer survivors are dissatisfied after breast reconstruction due to unexpected outcomes that don’t meet personal preferences.
Results Mixed for Military Toxic Exposure Effect on Breast Cancer Incidence
Little work has been done to investigate the relationship between MEE and risk of breast cancer.
Tailoring Imaging Regimens Could Detect More Second Breast Cancers
Women at a high risk of interval second breast cancers might benefit from additional surveillance imaging modalities, according to a new study.
