Obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder associated with persistent collapse or narrowing of the upper airway during sleep, has been linked to several detrimental outcomes including excessive daytime sleepiness, high blood pressure, neurocognitive decline and metabolic disorders.
Smoking History Affects Overall Survival in Women With Breast Cancer
Largely because of its association with conditions such as lung cancer and cardiovascular/pulmonary diseases, cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, with about 480,000 deaths each year attributable to the habit.
New Mothers at MHS Facilities Less Likely to Use Opioids
MHS patients are less likely to fill a prescription for opioids after delivery of a child than those receiving care from civilian facilities.
Expanded Role for MTFs Could Improve Obstetric Care in Underserved U.S. Areas
If military treatment facilities offered emergency cesarean delivery and other high-quality obstetric care to civilians in underserved areas of the United States, according to a new study, it would not only significantly improve the health of expectant mothers and their babies but also potentially improve military readiness.
MHS Patients Have Higher Breast Cancer Survival Rates Than U.S. in General
Accessibility to healthcare is an important determinant in cancer survival. Studies of patients in the military health system (MHS), which provides universal care to uniformed servicemembers, military retirees and family members, have shown higher survival rates for several forms of cancer compared to the general U.S. population. A new study has added breast cancer to that list.
Conference Highlights Concerns About Increased CV Risk Factors in Veterans
New research is adding to the evidence that veterans are at increased risk for cardiometabolic conditions and poor cardiovascular outcomes.
Criticism Continues About VA’s Handling of Military Sexual Trauma Claims
Has the VA improved its process of dealing with military sexual trauma, or are errors resulting in veterans being denied the care they need?
Committee Hearing: DoD/VA Transition Program for Women Not Enough
In recent years, both VA and DoD have worked to create transition services designed specifically for women servicemembers with the goal of providing information about VA care and closing the gap between when a servicemember is discharged and when they enroll for VA healthcare and benefits.
Knowing MST Background Can Help Improve Care for Veterans
Military sexual trauma is on the increase, and more and more data is linking it to serious physical health problems.
Anxiety Sensitivity Linked to PTSD Among Women Who’ve Experienced MST
Anxiety isn’t just mental. It can also cause physical symptoms, such as heart palpitations, sweaty palms or shortness of breath. Anxiety sensitivity reflects the belief that those bodily sensations are harmful and dangerous.
History of Self-Injury Linked to Higher Suicide Risk Among Veterans
The VA has put significant focus on reducing veteran suicide rates over the last decades. But what about those who hurt themselves while stopping short of taking their own lives?
Military Sexual Trauma Appears to Be a Risk Factor for Hypertension
Young and middle-age veterans who experienced sexual harassment and assault during military service are at an increased risk for hypertension and, potentially, its cardiovascular complications, a new study suggested.
Work Setting Strongly Affects Retention Rates for Women’s Health Providers
The delta variant’s march across America brought a crisis long in the making to the blazing front of the news—and made research coming out of the VA potentially beneficial for the wider health care industry.
Kit Needed for Self-Diagnosis and Treatment of Urogenital Infections in the Field
For women serving in challenging environments with limited access to clean water, sanitation and medical facilities, knowing how to prevent, diagnose and treat urogenital infections is essential.
Air Force Women’s Health Initiative Takes Off
With women accounting for more than 15% of all active duty forces, the health needs of women are increasingly coming to the fore. Women represent nearly 21% of the Air Force, making addressing their unique needs particularly critical for mission readiness. In response, the service has introduced a growing number of health initiatives through the Women’s Initiative Team’s (WIT) Female-Specialized Health Care Programs.
VA Increases Focus on Needs of Younger Women Patients
The Deborah Sampson Act represented a major advance for women’s health care at the VA, an area long neglected despite the steady rise in the number of women serving in the U.S. military over the last several decades.
New Concerns, New Treatments for Vulvovaginal Candidiasis
Candida, a common yeast, frequently cohabitates on skin and inside the body and typically causes little trouble. When conditions enable it to multiply rapidly or when drug-resistant strains take hold, however, it can cause a range of problems, including vulvovaginal candidiasis, one of the most common infections in women.
New Focus Is on Taking Care of Victims of Military Sexual Assault
As DoD officials look to make good on President Joe Biden’s promise to address sexual assault and harassment in the military, they are framing a portion of that effort in terms of a pressing public health need.
Antimuscarinic Agents Up Diabetes Risk in Female MHS Patients
Are drugs used to treat overactive bladders a risk factor for development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)?
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.
Women Benefit From Both Lung, Breast Cancer Screening
Women are most likely to die from lung cancer—with mortality greater than breast, cervical and ovarian cancer combined—and increased screening has been shown to significantly reduce mortality.
Problems With DoD-to-VA Transition Program Intensified by Pandemic
Transitioning from active duty military service to civilian life is difficult at the best of times. The pandemic added a host of new challenges, highlighted existing problems with the transitioning process and widened the cracks through which those veterans who are most in need of support are in danger of falling.
Ovarian Cancer Deaths Don’t Vary by Race/Ethnicity in Military
HONOLULU, HI – In the general population, mortality rates from epithelial ovarian cancer show stark differences by race and ethnicity. Non-Hispanic Black women die at higher rates, despite age, from the cancer other cohorts. A study team
identified no such disparities in military healthcare, however.
SGLT2 Inhibitor Use Lower Among Women, Minorities
Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors significantly reduce deaths from cardiovascular conditions, hospitalizations for heart failure and progression of kidney disease among patients with Type 2 diabetes
Few Women Veterans Receive Pre-Pregnancy Counseling
Women veterans aren’t routinely being queried about their intentions related to pregnancy, making it more difficult to optimize family planning care.
How Women Veterans’ Breast Cancer Compares to Male Version
Less than 1% of breast cancer occurs in men, although it continues to rise.
Sleep Disorders More Prevalent in Army Vs. Other Services
While sleep problems are widespread in active-duty U.S. military servicemembers, Army personnel appear to have the most problems.
Lawmakers Seek to Expand VA Coverage Related to Fertility Issues
Veterans who have service-connected infertility issues should have access to the full range of fertility services science now available, especially in vitro fertilization, without the constraints imposed by antiquated and sometimes nonsensical regulations, legislators and veterans’ advocates argued last month.
New Veterans Health Care Act Seeks to Improve Women’s Healthcare at VA
One of the last pieces of legislation to make it through the 116th Congress was the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, MD Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.
OIG Questions Wilkie’s Response to DCVAMC Sexual Assault Allegation
VA Secretary Robert Wilkie and other high-ranking VA officials actively worked to discredit the complainant in a sexual assault investigation at the DC VA Medical Center, according to a recent VA Office of Inspector General report.
