In U.S. veterans of reproductive age, having greater healthcare engagement and more reliance on providers as trusted sources of contraceptive information could improve their knowledge, according to a recent study.
Cured, Prevented and Invented: The Military’s Long Reckoning with Viral Hepatitis
Hepatitis A, B, C and D sit at different points along the vaccine story this series has traced since 1777. One has a vaccine the Army itself invented.
The Geography of Disease and the Need for a Growing Vaccine Arsenal
A military confined to one continent faces one disease environment. A force that deploys anywhere on short notice faces all of them at once.
Vaccines Recommended for Veterans
The VA offers a broad vaccine menu, reflecting a population that skews older, often has multiple comorbidities and carries exposure risks specific to military service.
The Military’s Long War on a Quick Killer, Meningococcal Disease
Few pathogens move with the speed of Neisseria meningitidis. Even with prompt antibiotic treatment, meningococcal disease still kills 10% to 15% of the people it infects, and a 2019 analysis of invasive cases in England found that 85% of disease-related deaths occurred within a single day of diagnosis.
The Longest Battle: U.S. Military vs. Infectious Disease
This year marks the 250th anniversary of our nation—and of U.S. military efforts to protect troops from infectious disease. Surprised? Far from a recent and controversial development, the need to require actions that reduced the risk of an incapacitated fighting force was recognized by George Washington as early as 1776. Building on that, the first mandatory vaccination for all new recruits rolled out 180 years ago.
Tele-Robotic Surgery Appears to Be a Highly Feasible Surgical Option for Combat Casualties
Using tele-robotic surgery to provide surgical care for combat casualties is highly feasible, according to a recent study that found latency, or the time delay between an input command and the robotic platform’s response to that command, wasn’t a barrier to using the technology.
Young Veterans More Likely to Have Higher Levels of ‘Forever Chemicals’ Than Civilians
Young veterans are more likely to have higher levels of “forever chemicals” in their bloodstream than their civilian counterparts, a recent study has confirmed. While researchers could not say for sure what caused the elevated levels, it’s long been established that many military facilities are contaminated due to their use of the chemicals to fight fires.
Two-Way Link Found Between TBI and Neurologic Disorders in Older Veterans
Older veterans who sustain a traumatic brain injury (TBI) are significantly more likely than their peers to have been diagnosed with neurologic conditions such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease, stroke or epilepsy even before the injury occurs, according to a new retrospective cohort study.
Target Doses of ACE Inhibitors Reduce Risk of Death, Kidney Failure in Some HF Inpatients
In veteran patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), using higher target doses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) before discharge reduced the risks of death and kidney failure, according to a recent study.
Severe Maternal Morbidity, 30-Day Readmissions Linked to Delivery Volumes at Military Hospitals
In women who delivered at U.S. military hospitals between fiscal years 2019 and 2023, obstetric delivery volume, the number of annual births was significantly associated with severe maternal morbidity and the possibility of 30-day readmissions, according to a recent study.
PTSD, Health-Related Social Needs Together Increase Cognitive Risks Significantly in Veterans
A recent study asked a question critically important to VHA clinicians: Are post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and health-related social needs (HRSNs) associated with incident mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias among U.S. veterans?
Later PSA Screening, Higher Initial PSA Linked to Metastatic Prostate Cancer in Veterans
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among U.S. veterans, with about 15,000 veterans diagnosed and treated through the VA each year. PSA screening can help detect prostate cancer early, but determining how screening can best identify men at risk for serious disease has been a challenge.
New VA/DoD Obesity Guideline Strongly Recommends Semaglutide, Tirzepatide
A new synopsis of the VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for managing adult overweight and obesity pushes clinicians to look beyond a single number on the body mass index (BMI) when assessing health.
How Low Is Enough for PSA Levels After Prostate Cancer Treatment?
Reaching a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level of less than 0.2 ng/mL after starting androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) can maximize the chance of survival, according to a new study.
Later Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Inhibitor Use in Black Veterans Spotlights Inequity
For men with homologous recombination repair (HRR) deficient metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), PARP inhibitors can be life-prolonging therapies. Estimates of PARPi benefit in diverse patient populations are limited, however.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness Linked to Lower Risk of Male Breast Cancer
Because male breast cancer is a rare although increasingly recognized disease, there are limited data on modifiable risk factors. Not as much as known about the condition in men vs. women, where it is significantly more common.
Deployment Doesn’t Appear to Affect Hodgkin Lymphoma Survival
Unlike many types of cancer which affect older adults, classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) commonly affects adolescents and young adults (AYA), including military servicemembers.
More Veterans Screening Positive for Depression and PTSD
More veterans are screening positive for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), even as measures of suicide risk and alcohol-use disorder show modest improvement, according to a large new study of more than 3.6 million veterans receiving care through the VA.
Survival After MI Affected by Acute Kidney Injury, Baseline Renal Function, Troponin Levels
Baseline kidney function, acute kidney injury (AKI) and troponin levels are associated with short- and long-term survival after myocardial infarction (MI), a newly published VA study found.
Machine-Learning Models Can Predict Risk of Suicide and Suicide Attempts in U.S. Army Soldiers, Study Finds
Machine learning methods can be used to predict which U.S. Army soldiers are at comparatively high risk of suicide and suicide attempts over the next 24 months, possibly allowing earlier interventions, according to a recent study.
Lymphoma Survivors Often Return to Deployment When Achieving Remission
A cancer diagnosis has often been viewed as the end of a military career, particularly for servicemembers whose duties require deployment to austere or remote environments.
HHS Secretary’s Campaign Against Vaccines in Military Medicine, Other Departments
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is continuing to take aim at a variety of vaccine policies despite significant pushback from Republicans and Democrats in Congress as well as physicians and healthcare organizations.
RSV Vaccine Shows 85% Effectiveness Against Hospitalization in Veterans
Each year, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) leads to tens of thousands of hospitalizations among U.S. adults age 65 years and older, with the greatest risk among people with cardiopulmonary disease, diabetes, frailty and immunocompromising conditions.
Higher BMI Linked to Influenza-Like Symptom Severity in MHS Beneficiaries
Having a higher body mass index (BMI) is associated with greater influenza-like illness incidence and symptom severity in adult MHS beneficiaries, according to a recent study.
Pentagon to Reimburse Troops for Sperm and Egg Freezing Before Deployment
Nearly 2,000 U.S. troops suffered debilitating injuries to their groins or genitals during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan between 2000 and 2013, and about 307,000 more sustained some type of head injury over the same period, all injuries that can compromise fertility and sexual function.
Financial Distress Linked to Higher Suicide Risk in Veterans
Approximately 17 veterans die by suicide every day, according to the latest VA data. As such, identifying factors to assist clinicians in recognizing a veteran’s increasing suicide risk has become increasingly important. A new study pointed to one factor that might deserve more attention—financial distress.
New Ferritin Thresholds Recommended in Guidelines Have Benefits, Disadvantages
Clinical management guidelines from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in 2020 sought to standardize iron deficiency anemia (IDA) management.
Racial and Ethnic Disparities Persist in Pediatric Asthma Despite Military Health Insurance Coverage
Asthma is a common and potentially life-threatening illness that can affect children from all races and ethnicities, but the burden of asthma is not shared equally. Previous studies have shown there are racial/ethnic variations in the prevalence, treatment and outcomes of asthma; these variations can be attributed to barriers to accessing healthcare, costs associated with healthcare and the larger social determinants of health.
Updated COVID-19 Vaccines Protected Patients With Autoimmune Rheumatic Conditions
With changes at the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), confusion about who should get what seasonal vaccines has burgeoned. That might especially be the case with patients who have comorbidities such as autoimmune conditions.