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 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.
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.
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.
Coast Guard Acknowledges Brain Injury Risk from Its High-Speed Craft
Coast Guard leaders have acknowledged the risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) to its servicemembers caused by repetitive, violent impacts while riding in high-speed craft and promised to improve how the service identifies and prevents brain injury.
Hybrid Decentralized Trial Design Helps VA Reach More Prostate Cancer Patients
Fewer than 5% of adult cancer patients in the United States enroll in a clinical trial, and the reasons are familiar to any oncologist: Patients live too far from a research center, the time and cost of frequent visits are simply too much on top of a cancer diagnosis, or the facility where they receive treatment does not participate in trials.
Hearing Loss, Tinnitus Are Common in Veterans; Earlier and More Severe Than in Civilians
Hearing loss and tinnitus are highly prevalent among U.S. veterans who use VA healthcare services, and the conditions appear to occur earlier and with greater severity than in civilians, according to a recent study.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Linked to Greater Risk of Musculoskeletal Injury in Servicemembers
In U.S. servicemembers, mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) was associated with a greater risk of subsequent musculoskeletal injury. A recent study highlighted the importance of focusing on musculoskeletal injury risk following an mTBI event.
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.
VA Study: Beta Blockers Might Help Extend Prostate Cancer Survival
Even though neural regulation contributes to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) development, the effects of neural-targeting medications on presentation or outcomes haven’t been well-documented according to a new study.
Pilot Study Indicates Psilocybin-Assisted Therapy Safe, Promising for Veterans With PTSD
Psilocybin-assisted therapy for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who got no relief from conventional treatments appears to be safe, according to the first U.S. clinical trial. It reported no serious adverse events or increases in suicidal thinking or behavior.
Frailty Can Predict Incident Osteoporotic Fractures in Veterans with RA
While rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is known to be associated with an increased risk of frailty and osteoporosis, the relationship between frailty and incident osteoporotic fractures in RA has been less clear, according to a recent study.
In VA EDs, Female Physician Slightly More Likely to Order Scans, Tests and Admit Patients
Female and male physicians have different practice patterns, according to past studies mainly focused on primary care.
Binge Drinking Declined in Some Veterans, While Heavy Drinking Increased in Midlife Veterans, Study Finds
Binge drinking declined from 2016 to 2024 in younger and older age groups among U.S. veterans, but, at the same time, heavy drinking increased significantly in midlife veterans, according to a recent study.
VA Researchers Featured in Dozens of Presentations at ASCO 2026
Studies address DPYD pharmacogenomics, lung cancer eligibility criteria, advance care planning, prostate cancer genomics, fatigue treatment, and more.
Older Adults More Likely to Be Prescribed Drugs Increasing Delirium, Fall Risk in Acute, Post-Acute Settings
Even though some types of medications, such as antipsychotics, affect cognition and might increase delirium and fall risk among older adults, they remain frequently prescribed, according to a new study, but office-based physicians don’t appear to be the worst offenders.
Community Survey Found Appreciation for Military Medical Research
While the U.S. military supports a large medical research enterprise, public awareness of those efforts and the benefits to civilians has remained a relatively unknown factor.
Morning Dosing Appears Better for Use of ICIs in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Patients
Does synchronizing immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) dosing with morning peaks in immune activation improve clinical outcomes?
More Testing Needed for Visual Dysfunction in Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease patients often struggle with visual dysfunction, a common non-motor symptom. That is evidenced by deficits in color vision (CV) and binocular vision (BV).
More Than One-Fourth of Servicemembers With Past GBS Have Chronic Pain
Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) had an incident rate of 1.6 cases per 100,000 person-years. among U.S. active component servicemembers from 2014 through 2022, according to a new study.
Genetic Evidence Confirms That FGF21 Signal Helpful Against Alcohol-Related Liver Disease
While fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) analogs are in development for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), their impact on problematic alcohol use (PAU), alcohol-use disorder (AUD), binge drinking and alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) have remained unknown.
Does Gabapentin or Pregabalin Work Better for Reducing Alcohol Use?
Gabapentin and pregabalin potentially could be useful for treating alcohol-use disorder (AUD), according to a recent study, but their comparative effectiveness in reducing alcohol consumption in real-world settings is unclear.
Comorbidities Linked to Higher Complication Risk After Prostate Cancer Surgery
Men undergoing surgery for prostate cancer often present with more than their malignancy. Many also are managing chronic comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and hypertension.
Middle East Deployment Not Linked to Increased Lymphoid Malignancy Risk
A new study found no link between deployment to the Middle East during Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) and a greater risk of developing lymphoid malignancies, but the authors cautioned that their study had important limitations.
Veterans With Spinal Cord Injury Fare Worse Without Cystometrogram
The VA should reexamine systemwide policies to increase the use of cystometrography (CMG ) for veterans with supra-sacral spinal cord injury or disorder (SCI/D) , as recommended in many global guidelines.
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing Reveals Decreased Exercise Capacity After Military Deployment
Following deployment, military personnel who completed cardiopulmonary exercise testing for pulmonary diagnoses showed a decrease in exercise capacity compared with normal controls, according to a recent study.
Study Proposed New Parkinson’s Subtype Included Mild Cognitive Impairment
New research has suggested that subtyping Parkinson’s disease with mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) into clinically and pathologically homogeneous groups could improve clinical trials and enable personalized treatments.