Nearly all patients hospitalized for acute heart failure are acutely congested due to fluid retention and have gained weight by the time of their admission.
VA’s Prescribing of Direct-Acting Oral Anticoagulants Often Guideline Discordant
Since they were first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010, direct-acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have become the most commonly-prescribed anticoagulants for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) due to their predictable pharmacokinetics, few drug-drug interactions and low monitoring requirements.
VA Study Finds That Reduced Right Ventricular Ejection Fraction Can Affect Beta-Blocker Effectiveness in Some HFrEF Patients but Not Others
Beta blockers have been shown to improve outcomes in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF), a complex syndrome characterized by impairment of the left ventricle resulting in a low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).
Beyond SPRINT: Drug Regimen, Systolic Blood Pressure Affect CVD
The landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) quickly changed the standard treatment of patients at high cardiovascular risk in the U.S.
Cardiologist Brings Novel Cardiac Mapping Technology to DCVAMC
Shortly after Christmas, while the hospital was bracing for the tidal wave that would be omicron, the DCVAMC made history, becoming the first VA in the nation to use new cardiac mapping technology to perform a cardiac ablation procedure.
VA Study: Alarming Rise in CVD Complications After Initial COVID-19 Recovery
When it comes to cardiovascular complications, the acute care of COVID-19 symptoms in veterans appears to be only the first stage for what, in some cases, turns out to be a longer-term healthcare crisis.
VHA Has Better Noncardiac Surgical Outcomes Than Private Sector Hospitals
Perioperative outcomes at the VHA are consistently better than those in private sector hospitals, according to a new study.
How Solar Activity Impacts Blood Pressure in Older Adults
Hypertension is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
Patients With Uncontrolled HIV Face Higher Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death
A new veterans study underscored the critical need for viral suppression and heart disease risk factor modification among HIV patients. Researchers determined that those with sustained viremia or low CD4 cell counts had an excess risk of sudden death.
VHA Observational Study Finds No Links Between Testosterone, CV Events
Hormone replacement therapy can have a number of beneficial effects—improving libido and sexual function, lifting energy and mood, increasing muscle mass and bone mineral density and decreasing fat mass—in men with low levels of testosterone, according to studies.
Heart Failure Complicates VA Pain Prescribing
Pain and heart failure are highly comorbid, which can create problems for clinicians attempting to control the conditions.
Navy Study Suggests Post COVID-19 Symptoms Can Affect Military Readiness
At 0.2% percent, the military’s current COVID-19 mortality rate is far lower than that of the general American public, which is just under 2%. But often those who contract and survive COVID-19 have to live with its long-term effects, regardless of the severity of their acute illness.
Best Strategies Determined for Stage 1 NSCLC in Veterans
What is the best strategy for managing veterans with stage 1 non-small cell lung cancer with co-morbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or coronary artery disease?
Nationwide VA Study Shows Disparities in Cardiovascular Care for Female Veterans
Women veterans with early-onset coronary artery disease are significantly less likely than men to receive medications that can prevent stroke, heart attack or peripheral arterial disease progression, according to a new nationwide study.
For Veterans With Prostate Cancer, Treatment Can Damage Heart Health
It’s long been said that “more men die with prostate cancer than from it.” While the statement remains true today, what treatment they receive appears to influence the cause of death.
Too Many Veterans With HIV Prescribed Inappropriate BP Medications
HIV patients on anti-retroviral therapy are at increased risk for cardiovascular events, heightening the importance of preventive care. Now, new research has found that selection of blood pressure medication is critically important for this group and can have a significant effect on risk of cardiovascular events or even death.
With Atrial Fibrillation, More than the Heart Is Aflutter
The most feared consequence of atrial fibrillation has long been ischemic stroke, but the erratic heartbeat doesn’t just raise the risk that a blood clot formed in the heart will lodge in the brain with sudden and frequently fatal results.
PCI Improves Survival of Some LVEF Heart Failure Patients
While revascularization of ischemic cardiomyopathy by coronary artery bypass grafting has been shown to improve survival among patients with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35%,
Researchers Link Heart Failure, Frailty With Mortality and Admission Risk
Is frailty associated with increased admission and mortality risk in heart failure patients?
Early Discharge Follow-Up Improves HF Outcomes
The benefit of early post-discharge hospital followup for heart failure patients was demonstrated in a new approach at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System.
IBD Drugs Linked to Increased Leukemia Risk
Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are rare myeloid clonal disorders that commonly affect the elderly population and have poor prognosis.
VA Patients With New Anemia Are Under-Evaluated
Anemia occurs frequently, and clinicians often underappreciate its importance, even though up to 10% of adults with incident iron deficiency anemia (IDA) could have gastrointestinal cancer, according to a new study.
Secondary Prevention Therapies Underused in Young Veterans with ASCVD
More Americans die from heart disease than any other cause, but many fail to take steps known to protect the heart,
VA Pharmacists Advise on Use of Anticoagulation in Severe COVID-19 Cases
While reports in the literature are increasing about high rates of coagulopathy and venous thromboembolism (VTE) among hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is little guidance on how to treat it or prevent it.
VA Analysis Finds Significant Benefit for Statins in Veterans 75 and Older
Cholesterol Drug Use Linked to 25% Reduced Risk of All-Cause Death BOSTON – In recent years, increased focus has been on deprescribing preventive medication for older patients. The concern has been polypharmacy and related risks from taking too many drugs. But what if...
VA Neurologists Find That Stroke Looks Different During Coronavirus Pandemic
SAN FRANCISCO—Since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit Europe in early March and washed across the United States later that month, emergency department staff and neurologists have asked, “Where are the stroke patients?” By April, they were asking another question of...
VA: AI-powered Wearable Predicts Heart Failure a Week Before Hospitalization
SALT LAKE CITY—More veterans leave the hospital with a diagnosis of heart failure than any other condition, making improving care for this rapidly growing segment of the population a high priority. A critical step is keeping veterans with heart failure out of the...
Improved Electrocardiogram Screening for Recruits Could Save Lives—and Dollars
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA—Despite significant rates of sudden cardiac death in recruits and the devastating impact of SCD on military missions, the DoD discontinued universal electrocardiogram screening for recruits and officer candidates nearly 20 years ago. Now,...
Two Subtypes of Gulf War Illness Identified
WASHINGTON — Gulf War illness appears to be more complex than previously thought, according to a study using brain imaging of veterans with the condition. The report in Brain Communications discussed how varying abnormalities were detected after moderate exercise that...
Women Veterans With PTSD Have More Risk Factors for Heart Disease
LOS ANGELES—While post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans previously has been linked to heart disease, the cohorts used in those studies were overwhelmingly mail. Now, a new study took a close look at PTSD’s effect on heart health in women veterans—and the news...