The administration of iodinated contrast media is not responsible for all changes in creatinine levels in patients undergoing the procedures.
Black Veterans Get CKD Younger, Have Lower Death Rates
The younger age of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Black patients can help explain some of the differences and disparities compared to white patients with CKD, according to a new study.
Much More Dual Testing for CKD Needed Within VHA
A new study that included VA researchers made the case for much more dual testing for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in high-risk patients to improve disease management and patient outcomes.
Unstable Housing Increases Veterans’ Mortality Risk With Kidney Dialysis
Unstable housing appears to contribute to socioeconomic disparities in mortality among U.S. veterans receiving dialysis, with older adults being especially vulnerable, according to a new study
BTK Inhibitors Provide Option for CLL Patients With Severe Renal Dysfunction
BTK inhibitors have proven to be a powerful tool in CLL treatment and have replaced chemoimmunotherapy as the preferred first-line treatment.
Anemia Raises Dementia Risk in Veterans With CKD
What is the role of anemia in risk of dementia in veterans with chronic kidney disease?
Rabiee Works to Increase Transplant Options for Veterans in Northeast
Each year, approximately 1,800 veterans are evaluated by VA for eligibility to receive an organ or bone marrow transplant, with approximately 450 veterans actually undergoing transplantation.
Elevated Preoperative Glucose Level Linked to Adverse Effects in Hernia Repair
An estimated 1 in 10 Americans and 1 in 4 veterans has diabetes, not only putting them at increased risk for problems such as heart and kidney disease, but also making them more prone to complications such as infection and bleeding following surgery.
Most Servicemembers Hospitalized With Exertional Rhabdomyolysis Have Heat Illness
Most hospitalizations in military servicemembers for exertional rhabdomyolysis, a syndrome of muscle breakdown following exercise, are associated with heat illness and present with lower creatine kinase levels than cases without associated heat illness, according to a recent study.
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.
VA Partners With American Kidney Fund, Business to Tackle CKD
Several new partnerships are positioning the VA to offer more extensive services, educational material and testing for the one in six veterans estimated to have chronic kidney disease.
COVID-19 Could Be Especially Risky for Veterans With Sickle Cell Trait
The presence of sickle cell trait (SCT) should be considered an adverse prognostic factor for COVID-19, according to a new study.
Hospitalized Veterans Have High Mortality Rates from Acute Kidney Injury
More than a quarter of patients with acute kidney injury died within a year of hospitalization at the VHA, according to a 10-year study that ended in late 2017.
Senate Passes Scaled-Down Bill Providing Healthcare to Burn Pit Victims
Legislation to extend healthcare to millions of veterans suffering from the effects of toxic exposure to burn pits passed the U.S. Senate unanimously last month. Advocates caution, however, that much more still needs to be done.
Chlorthalidone Therapy Improves BP Control in Advanced CKD Patients
For years, clinicians have noted that inadequate evidence was available to promote the use of thiazide diuretics to treat hypertension in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease.
When Is a Medication Changes Necessary in Veterans With Heart Failure?
Inhibition of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays an important role in reducing morbidity and mortality in patients with heart failure (HF) —one of the most common causes of hospitalization among veterans—particularly in those with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).
Kidney Injury Gauged in VA Influenza, COVID-19 Patients
COVID-19 is often compared to other respiratory viral illnesses, but few of those comparisons contrast the virus’ varying effect on kidney health and function.
Recent VA Review Calls for More Research on Ketogenic Diet Benefits
A recent review noted that ketogenic diets, which generally are very low in carbohydrate and very high in fat, have traditionally been employed to treat epileptic disorders, although they have been touted as a therapy for Type 2 diabetes and a range of other health conditions—neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, obesity, heart failure and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Ketogenic Diet With Coaching Appears Beneficial for Veterans With Diabetes
Diabetes affects more than 34 million—or nearly 10% of—Americans and is the seventh-leading cause of death in the U.S. The prevalence is even higher among U.S. veterans; approximately 25% of individuals who’ve served in the military have diabetes.
Navy Study Suggests Post COVID-19 Symptoms Can Affect Military Readiness
At 0.2% percent, the military’s current COVID-19 mortality rate is far lower than that of the general American public, which is just under 2%. But often those who contract and survive COVID-19 have to live with its long-term effects, regardless of the severity of their acute illness.
Veterans Study Finds That Kidney Disease Is Common ‘Long COVID’ Outcome
Patients who recover from COVID-19 often suffer long-term consequences. One of the most dangerous, according to a new veterans’ study, is the detrimental effects on kidney function, which might affect hundreds of thousands of survivors.
COVID-19 Shots Protected VA Cirrhosis Patients
Administration of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines to veterans with cirrhosis resulted in a delayed and modest reduction in infection rates. Excellent protection against related hospitalization or death was achieved, however, according to a new study.
Mortality Rate Lower for Kidney Transplant Patients at VHA Than Outside Care
Mortality rates are lower for veterans who receive all of their post-kidney transplant care within the VHA than those who receive care outside the VA through Medicare coverage, according to a recent study.
Apps, Wearable Devices Increasingly Help Veterans Improve Diabetes Management
Like Americans everywhere, veterans have integrated smartphones and wearable devices into many aspects of their lives.
Acute Kidney Disease Common, Dangerous for VA Inpatients With COVID-19
Nearly a third of veterans hospitalized with COVID-19 developed acute kidney injury, and half didn’t fully recover their kidney function by the time of hospital discharge, according to a new study.
VA Radiologist Champions Use of 3D Printing to Improve Care Delivery
The use of 3D printing has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years, finding its way into schools, libraries and even private homes.
What Is Link Between Kidney Injury Recovery, Function Loss?
NASHVILLE, TN—While future chronic kidney disease is linked to the extent of recovery of kidney function following acute kidney injury, how the timing of recovery affects the rate of future loss of kidney function is not as well understood. In response, a...
Iron Deficiency Linked to Higher CKD Mortality
SALT LAKE CITY—Is abnormal iron balance associated with increased mortality in predialysis patients with chronic kidney disease? A study in Kidney International suggested that the answer is not clear, because parameters have not been well characterized. To remedy...
Nephrologists Face ‘Emotional Burden’ in Treating CKD
BOSTON—Even though U.S. clinical practice guidelines generally recommend that nephrologists discuss all treatment options, including conservative management, with Stage 4 and 5 chronic kidney disease patients, that rarely occurs, according to a new study. The report...
Metformin Linked to Reduced Cardiovascular Events in Certain Veterans
Compared to Sulfonylureas in Patients with Impaired Kidney Function NASHVILLE, TN—It wasn’t that many years ago that prescribing metformin for Type 2 diabetes patients with impaired kidney function was discouraged for safety reasons. Now, in an about-face, a new VA...