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VA/DoD Guideline Update Reflects Newest Therapies for Headaches

by Mary Anne Dunkin | Jan 8, 2025

Expanded recommendations for treatment, preventive therapies and nonpharmacologic therapies are among noteworthy changes in the recently updated VA and Department of Defense (DoD) Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Headache.

As-Needed Blood Pressure Medication Linked to Adverse Outcomes in VA Hospitals

by LaTina Emerson | Jan 8, 2025

In hospitalized veterans, use of at least one as-needed blood pressure medication was associated with higher risk of acute kidney injury and rapid drop in blood pressure, as well as increased risk of stroke, heart attack or death, according to a recent study.

VA Hospitals Went from Worse Than Community Facilities in 2017 to Outperforming Them in 2021

by Brenda Mooney | Jan 7, 2025

With the debate heating up about how much VA care should be shifted to the community, a new study found that VA hospitals changed in a 5-year period from 2017 to 2021 from providing worse experiences for Black and poor-health patients to outperforming community hospitals for those and all other patient subgroups examined.

Congressional Republicans Seek to Further Expand VA’s Use of Community Care

by Stephen Spotswood | Jan 7, 2025

Republican legislators are looking to expand VA’s use of community care further with the coming Congress.

VA’s Landmark Study Shifted Paradigm for Managing Diabetes

by Annette Boyle | Jan 7, 2025

MEMPHIS, TN — As part of our ongoing series highlighting milestones in federal medicine as part of the 60th anniversary of U.S. Medicine, we spoke with William Cushman, MD, medical director, Department of Preventive Medicine, and professor of Preventive Medicine,...

Everybody’s Got a Different Circle of Competence. The Important Thing Is Not How Big the Circle is.

by Chester Buckenmaier III, MD, COL (ret), MC, USA | Jan 7, 2025

There was a time following my anesthesiology fellowship when I experienced the sublime joy of being competent in my chosen profession. I had completed my residency training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, passed the oral boards and was on the cutting edge (at the time) of an acute-pain medicine fellowship at Duke University.

VA Accused of Not Keeping Up with a More Active Amputee Patient Population

by Stephen Spotswood | Dec 13, 2024

While VA has long considered itself a provider of world-class prosthetics care, younger veterans are reporting that the department has yet to adapt to a more active patient population.

Prediction of Patient Outcomes After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

by LaTina Emerson | Dec 13, 2024

Serum cytokines, neuronal proteins and clinical data can be used to predict vasospasm and early mortality in patients with severe traumatic brain injury, according to a recent study.

VARA Registry Seeks to Improve the Lives of Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis

by Mary Anne Dunkin | Dec 13, 2024

New findings concerning the risk of interstitial lung disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and how body composition and metabolic dysregulation are tied to RA and inflammation were among the highlights of research presented at the 20th Annual Fall Meeting of the VA Rheumatoid Arthritis (VARA) Registry held in September.

Higher CVD Events in Older Adults Undergoing Chemotherapy, With Certain Cancers

by U.S. Medicine | Dec 13, 2024

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a greater risk for cancer survivors because of either their malignancy or its treatment.

Sexual Orientation Affects Prevalence of Atherosclerotic CVD in Veterans

by U.S. Medicine | Dec 13, 2024

Sexual orientation appears to have some unexplained effect on cardiovascular health, according to a new study.

Prescribing of Antihypertensives Not Always Guideline Concordant at VHA

by U.S. Medicine | Dec 13, 2024

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.

Higher Psychosocial Well-Being at Time of Trauma Reduces PTSD Risk

by LaTina Emerson | Dec 13, 2024

Victims of traumatic events with higher well-being in three areas—vocational well-being, financial well-being and social well-being—are less likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a recent study.

VA Overtreats Prostate Cancer in Veterans with Limited Life Expectancy

by Brenda Mooney | Dec 13, 2024

Overtreatment, especially with radiotherapy, has increased for veterans with limited life expectancy and intermediate-risk or high-risk prostate cancer, according to a new study.

Understanding Long-Term Surgical Outcomes Can Help Ensure Treatments Align With Patient Priorities

by Mary Anne Dunkin | Dec 13, 2024

Surgical outcome studies often focus on mortality, complications or hospital readmissions. While such outcomes are important, they don’t always align with matters most to older patients, particularly those nearing the end of life.

Audit, Feedback Increase HF Medication Management by VA Pharmacists

by Brenda Mooney | Dec 12, 2024

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.

Hearing Loss Linked to Parkinson’s Disease; Hearing Aids Help Offset Risk

by Mary Anne Dunkin | Dec 12, 2024

A complex and progressive neurological disorder, Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been diagnosed in more than a million Americans and disproportionately impacts veterans.

Operator of Fraudulent Pain Clinics Took Advantage of Veterans, Servicemembers, Others; Sentencing Scheduled for February

by Stephen Spotswood | Dec 12, 2024

Michael Kestner, the owner and operator of medical clinics in Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina, was convicted last month in federal court of fraudulently billing Medicare and TRICARE for $35 million in unnecessary opioid injections.

Understanding the Underuse of Mental Healthcare by U.S. Servicemembers

by Mary Anne Dunkin | Dec 12, 2024

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression are common mental health conditions among U.S. servicemembers, yet only a fraction of those affected pursue mental healthcare services. An even smaller proportion receive adequate levels of care.

Veterans With HIV Tended to Have CVD Events Earlier Than Those Without

by U.S. Medicine | Dec 12, 2024

HIV patients have an increased atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability, making them more susceptible to severe cardiovascular complications, according to previous research.

Use of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Too Low in Women Veterans

by U.S. Medicine | Dec 12, 2024

HIV remains a persistent health concern in the United States, with more than 36,000 new diagnoses in 2021, according to a new study noting that HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended for those at increased risk for infection.

Schizophrenia, Antipsychotics Raised Dementia Risks in Veterans With HIV

by U.S. Medicine | Dec 12, 2024

A new study raised alarms about the association between dementia risks in HIV patients with schizophrenia and the use of off-label antipsychotics.

Military Health System Multiple Myeloma Patients Survive Longer

Military Health System Multiple Myeloma Patients Survive Longer

by LaTina Emerson | Dec 12, 2024

Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries with multiple myeloma have longer 5- and 10-year survival rates compared to multiple myeloma patients from the U.S. general population, according to a recent study.

Veterans Study Found Positive Sotorasib Results Similar to CodeBreak Trials

by Brenda Mooney | Dec 12, 2024

Three years ago, based on the CodeBreak100 trial, the Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to the KRAS G12C inhibitor sotorasib for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer in the second line or later.

Limited Information on Breast Cancer Risk After Military Exposures

by LaTina Emerson | Dec 12, 2024

A long list of health effects have been attributed to military environmental exposures (MEE) such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), tactile herbicides, airborne hazards and open burn pits (AHOBP) and depleted uranium.

House Coronavirus Committee Held Its Last Meeting in November

House Coronavirus Committee Held Its Last Meeting in November

by Stephen Spotswood | Dec 11, 2024

Next month marks the 5-year anniversary of the first case of COVID-19 reported in the United States. Since then, more than 110 million Americans have been infected, and 1.2 million have died.

Medications Can Cause Falls, Related Adverse Outcomes in COPD Patients

by Brenda Mooney | Dec 11, 2024

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the sixth-most-common cause of death in the United States, but the link between medications and a greater risk of morbidity and mortality in those patients is not well known, according to a new report.

Did VA ‘Cry Wolf’ About Budget Shortfall? Legislators Claim It Did

by Stephen Spotswood | Dec 10, 2024

Legislators are accusing VA of crying wolf after a recent budget update revealed that the department did not need $3 billion in supplemental benefits funding after all and that it might not be facing a healthcare funding shortfall next year, either.

Chronic Ill Health Remains an Issue for Many Gulf War Veterans

Chronic Ill Health Remains an Issue for Many Gulf War Veterans

by LaTina Emerson | Dec 10, 2024

For many veterans who served during the 1990-1991 Gulf War era, Gulf War Illness (GWI) and chronic ill health have lasting effects nearly 30 years later, according to a recent study.

How Will the Trump Administration Alter VA Operations? Some Pundits Say to Look at Project 2025 Proposals

by Stephen Spotswood | Dec 10, 2024

As President-elect Donald Trump gathers his Cabinet and prepares to take office for the second time, questions remain about how this new administration will attempt to transform government agencies, including VA.

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