In 2013, the American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association issued updated guidelines significantly expanding the number of patients who should be considered candidates for statin therapy.
Direct Acting Antivirals Cure More than 90% of Older Patients with HCV
The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the Infectious Diseases Society of America recommend that nearly all patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection receive treatment with direct-acting antiviral therapy.
Robinson Empowers Pacific Islands Staff as New Healthcare Director
Adam M. Robinson Jr., MD, the newly minted director of the VA Pacific Islands Healthcare System, has a story about a three-legged stool. It’s one that he tells enough that his employees end up learning it by heart.
COVID-19 Incidence in AI/AN More Than Three Times Greater Than Whites
ATLANTA—Non-Hispanic American Indians and Alaska Natives make up only 0.7% of the United States population but 13% of coronavirus disease cases across the country, according to a new report. The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed out in an...
Army Researchers Wage War Against COVID-19 in the Laboratory
As the novel coronavirus has continued to spread throughout the United States, infecting more than six million and killing more than 185,000 people, the U.S. Army has been on the front lines in an effort to protect the nation’s health and security.
Extraordinary times
“Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.” — Benet Wilson
Last month’s U.S. Medicine August 2020 editorial, “It feels like writing ‘Bad things are about to happen’ on a napkin and then setting the napkin on fire.” — Colin Carlson, was angry. This month’s editorial is an admission of regret for that anger, a recognition that anger serves no useful purpose in the face of national tragedy. It perhaps defines a better way to act going forward. Admittedly, the editorial was cathartic for me. Still, I am not sure it was much of a public service to my readers. The depth and breadth of the COVID-19 pandemic in this country has been overwhelming to society. It has exposed divisions in our union that have been simmering under our national veneer of unity.
‘Happy Hypoxia’ Might Not Be Such a Mystery After All in COVID-19
Earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, physicians were often baffled by patients who presented with extremely low levels of oxygen. Although oxygenation was so low it was potentially life-threatening in some cases, patients showed no obvious difficulty in breathing.
CLL, Lymphoma Treatments Might Be Effective in Some Melanoma Cases
AURORA, CO – Noting the urgent need to develop treatments for patients with melanoma who are refractory to or ineligible for immune checkpoint blockade, including patients who lack BRAF-V600E/K mutations, a new study suggested some possible options. The report in...
COVID-19 Has Serious Hematological Implications for Many Patients
CHICAGO – Most of the morbidity and mortality seen with COVID-19 involves the lower respiratory track, but the virus also can involve several organ systems and the syndrome. Noting that the novel coronavirus has a wide range of symptoms and manifestations, a report in...
NHL, Some Other Cancers, Reduced With Early ART in HIV-Positive Patients
OAKLAND, CA – Cancer is a significant problem for patients diagnosed with HIV. indicates that earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in persons living with HIV (PLWH) can reduce cancer incidence, but it has not been clear which cancer types are affected. A...
Surveillance, Barriers to Care Key to Federal Medicine Fight Against HCC
Mortality rates from most cancers have declined in recent years, but deaths from hepatocellular carcinoma continue to climb. Both the VA and the DoD are moving aggressively to detect and treat liver disease before it progresses to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to quickly identify patients who have developed this devastating disease.
New Guidelines Expand Screening for Liver Cancer in NAFLD
The American Gastroenterological Association recently updated its clinical practice guidelines to recommend screening for all patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
AGA’s New Advice on Screening for NAFLD and Hepatocellular Carcinoma
The association between NAFLD cirrhosis and HCC is well-established, and most experts believe that screening should be recommended in this setting. The decision to enter a patient into a screening program for HCC is determined by the level of risk for HCC, while also taking into account the patient’s age, overall health, functional status, and willingness and ability to comply with screening assessment.
HCV ‘Cure’ Doesn’t Eliminate Liver Cancer But Might Reduce Mortality
DALLAS – Use of direct-acting antiviral therapy to essentially cure hepatitis C virus does not completely eliminate the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma, but recent studies suggest it can significantly reduce mortality rates. The 15% to 20% of HCV patients...
Many Veterans With Cirrhosis Still Abuse Alcohol, Despite Dangers
Study Looks at What Percentage Actually Get Help at VA PITTSBURGH—Among veterans presenting for first-time care within the VA healthcare system, about 11% meet the criteria for a diagnosis of substance use disorder. Most prevalent among both male and female veterans,...
A Quick Call In VA System Almost Triples HCC Surveillance Rates
LOS ANGELES—Sometimes the simplest interventions work best. That’s what the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System discovered in its attempts to increase the number of veterans with cirrhosis who received regular surveillance for hepatocellular cancer (HCC)....
Houston, Miami VAMCs Participate in Tocilizumab Trial
HOUSTON—The Michael E. DeBakey VAMC in Houston and the Bruce W. Carter VAMC in Miami are among nearly 70 locations across the world participating in a randomized double-blind clinical trial of an immunomodulator, tocilizumab, for patients with severe pneumonia...
Foundation Partners with VA to Offer Pandemic Caregiver Relief
WASHINGTON—Providing ongoing care for wounded, ill or injured veterans during ordinary times poses many challenges, but travel restrictions, closures, and childcare issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many caregivers to take on additional...