Arguably, war and man’s increasing sophistication when it comes to harming one another are the least attractive attributes of the species. The next war, like death and taxes, seems an inevitable part of the human condition as we close 2012 experiencing the longest conflict in American history.

WASHINGTON - In the wake of new federal conference oversight, the military medical services are navigating how to ensure that medical personnel can continue to receive vital continuing medical education and keep up with the latest advances in their field, while adhering to new conference regulations.

Opinion poll: Will the federal conference restrictions make it difficult for you to satisfy continuing education requirements and keep up in your clinical area? Please click here to participate in this month's U.S. Medicine readership poll.

CHICAGO - More than 160,000 veterans treated by VA are considered legally blind, and another million have low vision that challenges daily activities.

WASHINGTON — The use of trained dogs has been accepted therapy since the 1960s for persons with visual, hearing and mobility impairments. Only recently, however, have service dogs been trained to assist men and women suffering from mental health issues, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

BOSTON - A compound approved for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI) in nearly 60 countries does not appear to approve function or cognitive status in patients, according to a new study.

Former Military Personnel at Higher Risk
BETHESDA, MD - In late 2005, Thomas J. Murphy, a veteran who served in the Marine Corps during the 1970s, heard a radio advertisement seeking volunteers who were former smokers to participate in a lung cancer early detection CT screening study.

WASHINGTON - Sleep is part of the prescription when it comes to improving the health of troops and families, according to the Army Surgeon General.

SILVER SPRING, MD - High consumption of energy drinks could be leading to sleep problems for deployed troops, potentially impairing military performance, according to a new study from the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.

CHICAGO - If VA and DoD expect to use the Lovell Federal Healthcare Center (FHCC) in Chicago as a blueprint for future joint facility integration projects, the departments will need to develop some kind of way to evaluate the success or failure at Lovell - something they have yet to do, according to an Institute of Medicine report.