COLUMBIA, SC—PDE-5 inhibitors are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat erectile dysfunction, but a new study suggested that the drugs also might be a viable chemopreventive agent for some types of cancer. The article in Clinical and Translational...
Biomarkers Identify Better Physical Resilience in Some Patients
DURHAM, NC—Physical resilience can make a different to how patients respond to health stressors, even if they appear to be clinically similar. A study in the Journals of Gerontology Series A pointed out that molecular mechanisms underlying physical resilience often...
TKA Outcomes Linked to Inappropriate Medications Among Veterans
ATLANTA—The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) Beers Criteria is a list of potentially inappropriate medications that are typically best avoided by older adults in most circumstances or under specific situations, such as in certain diseases or conditions. A study in...
Helicopter Pilots Face Greater Risk of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
HONOLULU—Helicopter pilots are burdened with an increased risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a new study. The report in Military Medicine pointed out that the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome is increased in occupations exposed to repetitive motion, poor...
Data Predicts Life Expectancy of Older Veterans With Diabetes
BOSTON—Can the five- and 10-year life expectancy of older diabetes patients be predicted by history of co-morbid health conditions and medication? A new study suggested it can. The VA Boston Healthcare System-led study suggested that the ability to make such...
AI/AN Patients Faced Diabetes Care Disparities Within MHS
BETHESDA, MD—Readmissions following hospitalization for diabetes often occur and are more common in minority patients, who experience greater rates of complications and lower quality healthcare compared to white patients. A study in Military Medicine examined...
Diabetes Drug Metformin Improves PTSD Symptoms in Veterans
NEW ORLEANS—U.S. veterans have a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, but the search for effective medications continues. A presentation at the American Diabetes Association’s 80th Scientific Sessions raised the possibility that a common diabetes drug...
Psychotherapeutic Services Can Be Critical for Veterans With Multiple Sclerosis
Some Mental Health Issues More Common in MS Patients HARTFORD, CT—Emotional disorders are common in patients with multiple sclerosis and can complicate treatment, according to the American Academy of Neurology. The specialty group noted on its website that one-third...
VA Surgical Quality Meets or Exceeds Nearby Community Hospitals
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT—Under the MISSION Act, veterans who meet certain criteria can opt to receive medical care—including surgery—from community providers instead of the VA. Based on the results of a new study, they might not want to, however. A new study...
Is a Modified Paleolithic Diet Safe, Effective for MS-Associated Fatigue?
Study Recommends Some Supplementation But Generally Approves IOWA CITY, IA—With judicious use of the type of supplements found at the pharmacy, a restrictive diet is showing promise for improving some symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Based on preliminary studies...
‘Bad Paper’ Discharges Keep Many Veterans From Receiving VA Care
WASHINGTON—While most servicemembers receive honorable discharges, as many as 7% discharged since 1980 have what are commonly known as “bad paper” discharges. Since 1980, 575,000 servicemembers have received bad paper discharges, many of which relate to minor...
Could VA’s Expedited Pandemic Hiring Become the New Normal?
More than 23,000 New Employees Have Joined Agency WASHINGTON—Thanks to an influx of emergency funding related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of expedited hiring practices, VA has onboarded more than 23,000 new employees, including 4,700 nurses, 800...
VA: Some of Its Sexual Harassment Issues Will Take Four Years to Resolve
WASHINGTON—According to a number of surveys and reports, VA has yet to adequately address the problem of sexual harassment of both employees and patients. In 2016, a Merit Systems Protection Board survey found that 22% of VA employees experienced workplace sexual...
Maher Seeks to Convince Women Veterans That VA Can Meet Their Needs
WASHINGTON—Currently, women make up 10% of U.S. veterans, and that percentage grows higher with each new generation of veterans. Yet, there has historically been in enrollment between men and women in VA services, and it has become more apparent as the number of women...
VA’s COVID-19 Cases Quadruple Between Early June, Late July
Number of Infected Employees Also Is Growing WASHINGTON—As the number of new coronavirus cases rose throughout the country, VA’s caseload grew as well, with the number of VA’s active COVID-19 cases more than quadrupling between the beginning of June and the end of...
Biomarker Helps Identify Multiple Sclerosis Much Earlier in the Disease Process
Military Personnel Study Could Improve MS Treatment BOSTON—Early identification of multiple sclerosis could enable interventions to prevent demyelinating events and the progression of neurodegeneration, as well as help pinpoint causal factors of the disease. A study...
Bad things are about to happen
“It feels like writing ‘Bad things are about to happen’ on a napkin and then setting the napkin on fire.” ~Colin Carlson
This month’s quote comes from Dr. Colin Carlson, a research professor specializing in infectious disease from Georgetown University who commented to reporter Ed Yong in The Atlantic magazine article entitled “The pandemic experts are not OK—many American public-health specialists are at risk of burning out as the coronavirus surges back” July 7, 2020. This comment struck me, because it sums up the last several months of watching SARS-CoV-2, dubbed COVID-19) spread out-of-control around most of this country. It has been heart-wrenching to watch exhausted healthcare workers, battling on the front lines of this pandemic, pleading with Americans to take this viral epidemic seriously.
Promising Options Identified for AML Treatment After Initial Treatment Failure
CHICAGO – Because of limited treatment options after the failure of initial therapy, clinical management of acute myeloid leukemia remains a challenge for clinicians. One area of significant interest, according to a report in the journal Blood, has been therapeutic...