TAMPA, FL—Do testosterone levels affect asthma prevalence and lung function? A new study sought to answer that question. The report in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology in Practice pointed out that asthma prevalence decreases post-puberty in males,...
Deployment Doesn’t Appear to Affect Sarcoidosis in Soldiers
FORT BRAGG, NC—Based on research investigating the potential link between deployment to Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and increases in pulmonary disease, data on conditions such as asthma and airway hyperreactivity are well established, but...
What Leads to Pulmonology Referrals for Veterans With COPD?
BOSTON—At the VA and elsewhere, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often is managed by primary care physicians and sometimes pulmonologists, but it is not clear what factors spur consultations by pulmonary specialists. In fact, according to a report in Respiratory...
Recent Veterans Have ‘Alarmingly High’ Rates of Insomnia Disorder
Study Linked Severe Sleep Problems with PTSD, Suicide SAN DIEGO—Recent veterans who receive care at the VA have “alarmingly high” rates of insomnia disorder, according to a new study finding that the condition was diagnosed in more than half of the sample studied. The...
COVID-19 Pandemic Might Lead the Way for More Inpatient CGM Use
Devices Allow Remote Monitoring of Blood Glucose Levels ATLANTA—A silver lining in the dark cloud of the COVID-19 pandemic might be that healthcare systems have been forced to reconsider many processes, especially those involving close contact with patients. According...
Pandemic Puts Spotlight on Problems With VA’s Healthcare Supply Chain
WASHINGTON—The difficulties VA faced during the early weeks of the pandemic ensuring its facilities had an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) confirmed what agency officials have recognized for some time: The healthcare system’s supply chain system...
VA’s Hydroxychloroquine Stockpile Mainly Being Used for Chronic Disease
FDA Rescinds Drug’s Emergency Use for COVID-19 WASHINGTON—After months of controversy on the use of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for severe COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration rescinded the emergency use authorization (EUA) allowing physicians to...
Rural Areas Present Challenges for Gathering Medication History
BIRMINGHAM, AL—Even more than other veterans, those in rural areas often see providers and obtain medications outside the VA system, in many cases because the closest VA facility might be distant from their home or they have a primary care provider in their community....
ART Has Changed the Cancers Associated with HIV
New York—Antiretroviral therapy transformed infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) from a death sentence to a chronic condition, along the way changing virtually everything about the disease, including its association with cancer. For years, specific...
Weight Gain May Endanger Some Benefits of Hepatitis C Cure
NEW HAVEN, CT—A year ago the VA announced it had eliminated chronic infections with hepatitis C virus in all veterans willing and able to be treated. More than 100,000 veterans achieved sustained virological response or a cure with the help of direct-acting antivirals...
Psychologist Emphasizes Social Support’s Importance for Veterans
SAN ANTONIO—If there’s one thing that Sandra Morissette, PhD, wants people to understand about veterans is that, when it comes to the need for social support in order to heave a healthy, functional life, they are no different than their civilian counterparts. And the...
Acute Kidney Injury Risk With Stem Cell Transplant
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can be a life-saving therapy for many patients with cancer, as well as patients with some nonmalignant hematologic disorders, such as aplastic anemia, sickle cell disease, and certain congenital immune...
Is Radiation Therapy Linked to Second Cancer Diagnoses?
STANFORD, CA – How likely is a second cancer diagnosis after primary cancer treatment with 3-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3DCRT), intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), or proton beam radiotherapy (PBRT) for lymphoma and other cancers? Researchers from...
Changes in Myelofibrosis Survival at VA
HOUSTON — Myelofibrosis Is a rare disorder in which abnormal blood cells and fibers build up in the bone marrow. It is classified as a myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPNs) in which bone marrow cells that produce blood cells develop and function abnormally....
Pandemic Shows Value of Long-Acting Injectables for Severe Mental Illness
VA research has found that about half of veterans with diagnosed schizophrenia or bipolar I disorder have attempted suicide. Nearly 70% of veterans with schizophrenia and more than 82% of those with bipolar disorder reported suicidal ideation or behavior. That’s why it is so critically important to maintain their medications during a crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Long-acting injectable drugs has helped the VA do that.
New Focus in the Fight to Reduce CV Risks in Type 2 Diabetes
At one point, intensive glycemic control was seen as a magic bullet to keep Type 2 diabetes patients from developing cardiovascular disease. That approach faded, however, when VA research cautioned that any benefits of intensive therapy must be weighed against adverse effects such as hypoglycemia and weight gain. Now the focus has shifted to better medication selection, with guidelines suggesting that, for Type 2 diabetes patients who have cardiovascular disease or are at high risk for it, therapy including an SGLT-2 inhibitor or GLP-1 RA should be considered as optimal treatment.
Vigilance at VA Community Living Centers in the Time of COVID-19
Editor’s note: The VA asked if U.S. Medicine could help disseminate important information on its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Here is a discussion from some of the agency’s top leaders. By Carolyn Clancy, MD, Teresa Boyd, DO, and Scotte Hartronft, MD We believe...
Blood Pressure Therapy Type Affects Risk of Gout Development
Secondary Analysis of Study Using VA Data BOSTON –While gout often is linked to diet – such as consuming too much red meat, seafood, and alcohol – it also can be a common complication of hypertension management. In fact, according to an article in the Journal of...
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