Rehabilitation and its possible effects are rarely part of the research that goes into the design or evaluation of prosthetic componentry, according to a prospective new study.
Bright Light Therapy Remains Underused Within VA Healthcare System
Since the 1980s, when seasonal affective disorder was first identified, one of the first-line treatments has been Bright Light Therapy.
Critics Strongly Condemn New VA/DoD Guideline on PTSD Treatment
The new VA/DoD posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) clinical practice guideline, published late last year, has drawn strong criticism from some experts in the field.
A Review of Long-Acting Injectable Antiretroviral Therapy
Barriers to maintaining viral suppression remain a challenge to ending the HIV epidemic. Among those are medication adherence.
Genetic Risk Factors Lead to Potential Therapeutic Targets for Heart Failure
Heart failure affects nearly 6.2 million adults in the United States and disproportionately impacts veterans. The long-term prognosis of heart failure is poor, with a five-year mortality rate of 50%, raising the demand for new therapeutic opportunities.
Sarah Krein Researches Whatever Is Necessary to Improve Veterans’ Care
Most VA researchers begin their research career because of a fascination with a certain clinical subject–a niche area usually discovered early in their studies that starts them off on a long, relatively straight, journey. Not for Sarah Krein, PhD, RN, who is interested in many subjects but none so deeply as the methodology of research itself.
Sequential Electrical Stimulation Device Relieves Pain in Veterans Study
Despite changes in physical training routines and equipment designed to reduce musculoskeletal injuries in servicemembers and veterans, veterans experience back and joint pain at a higher rate than their contemporaries who have never served.
Novel Treatments Drive Down Lung Cancer Death Rates
The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST), which began at the beginning of the 21st century, compared two ways of detecting lung cancer: low-dose helical computed tomography (CT)—often referred to as spiral CT—and standard chest X-ray.
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.
What Matters in Survival, Treatment of Lymphoid Cancers?
Oncologists balance the most effective treatment against the likelihood of adverse effects for every patient with cancer. Generally, the assumption is that older patients and those with more comorbidities and poorer performance status will experience more negative effects, including potentially fatal toxicity, from aggressive treatment. A study presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting in June calls into question this assumption for at least some patients and specific malignancies.
For Prostate Cancer, Liquid Biopsy Offers New Genomic Profiling Opportunities
Nearly a decade ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first liquid biopsy assay to monitor patients with prostate, breast, and colon cancer by measuring circulating tumor cells (CTC) in patients’ blood.
Choosing the Right Regimen for Elderly Patients with Advanced RCC
Most clinical trials provide limited guidance on the appropriate treatment of patients seen in clinical practice. Particularly in oncology, participants in trials tend to be significantly younger and in substantially better health than the average patient. Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) provides a clear example of the challenge.
nCRC, Sequencing Offers Better Guidance than Staining When Results Differ
Chemotherapy has long been a component in the first-line treatment for advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). A number of studies in recent years indicate that a subset of patients with specific genetic mutations do not respond well to the recommended 5-fluorouracil-based regimens, such as FOLFOX (5-FU, oxaliplatin, and leucovorin) or FOLFIRI (5-FU, irinotecan, and leucovorin) alone or in combination with other agents.
MHS Care Outshines Civilian Medicine in Multiple Myeloma
When a cure is not possible, longer life is the goal. For patients with multiple myeloma, extending survival is the best available option today, and one of the best ways to achieve that is to receive care through the U.S. Military Health System.
Kligler Helps Move VA Away From Only Care of Illnesses to Whole Health
For more than a decade, VA has been shifting to a patient-centered model of care, one where providers work together to get a fuller picture of a patient’s life and health.
VA Researchers Seek to Understand Factors Linked to Prosthetic Joint Infection
In most head-to-head comparisons, surgical care at the VHA is found to be as good or better than that provided in the community. That’s why a recent study on joint replacement surgery was so surprising.
TAPS Can Be the Start of Something Good for Veterans with Essential Tremor
Veterans are used to the sound of Taps marking an end. For a growing number, TAPS may indicate the beginning of a road to recovery of independence.
With a National Housing Crisis, Veteran Homelessness Remains a Concern
From 2010 to 2016, the number of veterans living on the streets dropped by half and the ending veteran homelessness within a decade appeared feasible.
Why Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Vietnam Veterans Suffer More From PTSD
Lesbian, gay and bisexual veterans who served in the Vietnam era reported more post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues than their heterosexual counterparts, and a new analysis of data from a nationwide study survey questioned whether that was related to past trauma related to sexual identity.
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.
Primary Causes of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Differ Among Men and Women
If you think of a patient at risk for hepatitis C infection (HCV), a man likely comes to mind, and for good reason. HCV occurs in men at four times the rate it does in women.
Problems With DoD-to-VA Transition Program Intensified by Pandemic
Transitioning from active duty military service to civilian life is difficult at the best of times. The pandemic added a host of new challenges, highlighted existing problems with the transitioning process and widened the cracks through which those veterans who are most in need of support are in danger of falling.
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
Few Women Veterans Receive Pre-Pregnancy Counseling
Women veterans aren’t routinely being queried about their intentions related to pregnancy, making it more difficult to optimize family planning care.
Early Discharge Follow-Up Improves HF Outcomes
The benefit of early post-discharge hospital followup for heart failure patients was demonstrated in a new approach at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System.
Secondary Prevention Therapies Underused in Young Veterans with ASCVD
More Americans die from heart disease than any other cause, but many fail to take steps known to protect the heart,
Multiple Factors Interact to Predict Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
The common image of Parkinson’s disease focuses on tremors and unstable movement, but for many patients with the disorder, the possibility of dementia worries them more. The concern is well justified—about 30% of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) suffer from dementia.
APA Recommends Ongoing Use of Long-Acting Injectables for SMI
WASHINGTON — Even as VA facilities open up nationwide, administrators and others are keeping a wary eye on the possibility of a significant second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the fall. U.S. healthcare systems are preparing now for a sharp increase in cases in the...
VA Prepares for Increased Risk of Suicide With COVID-19 Isolation
WASHINGTON — As the COVID-19 pandemic continues and scientists predict more periods of social distancing and quarantine in the future, healthcare leaders in the VA and elsewhere are beginning to prepare for how this will impact the mental health of veterans and civilians alike.
VA Pushes for More Use of NSCLC Targeted Therapies
DURHAM, NC — To help guide therapeutic decisions for patients with advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer, Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) gene panels are often completed.