A top priority for researchers who study aging is how to identify and treat frailty, even though there are no established therapeutic interventions for the condition.
Head and Neck Cancer Rates Highest in Active-Duty Army Servicemembers Who Are Male, Older
Active-duty servicemembers who are male, enlisted in the Army and age 40 and older have the highest incidence rates of head and neck cancer, 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.
Gynecologic Cancer Diagnoses Rising Among Women Veterans
The number of gynecologic cancer diagnoses among women veterans and military servicemembers has nearly tripled over the past two decades, reflecting both the growing population of women who have served in the military and an increasing need to address cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship in this population, according to a new study.
A Review of Cognitive Strategy Use for Functional Compensation in MS
A new review sought to examine the evidence supporting the use of specific compensatory cognitive strategies in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS).
New MS Patients Have Longest Waits—More than 54 Days on Average to See Community Neurologists
The average wait time for a neurologist specialist visit in the United States is about 50 days for commercially insurance patients, and those with multiple sclerosis wait even longer.
Multimodal Exercise Program Promising for Reducing Frailty in MS Patients
Frailty not only is a prevalent and debilitating condition in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients; it also is linked to poorer health outcomes.
Legislators, Former Defense Health Board Members Object to Discontinuation of Mandated Military Flu Shots
The Pentagon is partially walking back its decision to make the influenza vaccine entirely voluntary, granting exemptions to the policy change for the services, including requiring it for all recruits entering basic training.
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.
Pediatric Acute Respiratory Infections Lead to Lost Workdays for Active-Duty Servicemembers
Pediatric acute respiratory infections result in absenteeism for both children and their caregivers who are active-duty servicemembers, leading to lost duty days and reduced military readiness, according to a recent study.
VA Eliminates LGBTQ Care-Coordinator Positions in Response to Executive Order
VA is eliminating its LGBTQ care coordinator positions, as well as all activities dealing with veterans’ gender identity, according to a leaked internal memo.
Heart Failure Duration Linked to Cardiac Remodeling, Dysfunction
A new study proposed that pathophysiologic features associated with increased risk in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) might reflect distinct phenotypes or disease stages related to heart failure (HF) duration and then set out to document that.
Catheter Ablation Safe, Career-Preserving for Servicemembers with Tachycardia
Atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is the most common supraventricular tachycardia, and treatment for U.S. active-duty servicemembers (ADSM) can have unique career implications and might affect military retention.
More Treatment of High LDL-C Critical at VA to Avoid ASCVD
Pointing out that elevated serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is a major risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), a new study decried that only one-third of veterans with ASCVD have LDL-C treated to goal despite the availability of effective drugs to lower the condition.
Geriatric Surgery Program Enhances Care Coordination, Promotes Safer Surgeries for Older Veterans
A program developed to address the challenges that older adults experience when undergoing surgery has improved the coordination of care for older veterans and promoted safer, more goal-aligned surgery for older adults, according to a recent study.
Diabetes Staging System Improves Care for Type 2 Diabetes Patients In VA Primary Care Clinics
Guideline-concordant care for veteran Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients improved with use of the Diabetes Staging System to guide treatment, predict survival and create a shared language for care in VA primary care clinics.
COVID-19 Vaccine Shows Significant Protection Against MACE in Veterans 75 or Older
Past research has demonstrated that receipt of vaccines was associated with reduced COVID-19–associated cardiovascular risk. A new study took that a step further, finding evidence of vaccine effectiveness against the broader outcome—all-cause major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs), suggesting that “likely reflects the hidden burden of undetected SARS-CoV-2 and associated complications that are amenable to reduction by COVID-19 vaccination.”
Younger Veterans With Insomnia/Sleep Apnea Combo Have High Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
The combination of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea can be a dangerous combination for U.S. veterans, resulting in a much higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, among other conditions.
U.S. Veterans with Lung Cancer Experienced Greater Survival Gains Than Other U.S. Patients
Advances in lung-cancer screening and treatment have improved survival for patients across the United States. But new research suggested that healthcare delivery might be just as important as medical innovation in determining outcomes.
One ‘Aw Sh*t’ Wipes Out 1,000 ‘attaboys’
I must have heard or used variations of this month’s quote several hundred times during my military career. As a resident physician, my existence seemed to be ruled by this postulate, since months of smooth sailing at work could be wiped out in seconds by the smallest error. Good works seemed to fade in the collective memory of my superiors overnight, but mistakes appeared to stain my reputation in perpetuity. I guess whether it is resident relations with staff or international relations between countries, one’s reputation is only as formidable as the magnitude of one’s last mistake.
Plan for Homeless Veterans Haven in Los Angeles Continues to Be Plagued by Problems, Cost Concerns
While VA is lauding its progress in creating a haven for homeless veterans on its West Los Angeles campus, lawmakers are concerned about ongoing delays in the project and the unprecedented level of secrecy required of contractors.
VA Staff Reductions Having Strong Impact on Healthcare-Related Acquisitions, Contracts
VA has historically had long-standing challenges in executing and managing its healthcare related acquisitions, and recent staffing cuts will only exacerbate those problems, according to a recent report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Costs of Care, Oncologic Outcomes Related to Blue Light Cystoscopy at VA
Higher upfront costs vs. improved recurrence outcomes are a tradeoff when incorporating blue light cystoscopy (BLC) into nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) management, according to a new study.
Intradetrusor incobotulinumtoxinA Is Noninferior to OnabotulinumtoxinA in Treatment of Idiopathic Overactive Bladder
Is incobotulinumtoxinA to onabotulinumtoxinA more effective for the treatment of idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome?
Survey Found Improved Peritoneal Dialysis Program Infrastructure and Clinical Practices at VHA
Peritoneal dialysis (PD) use among the U.S. veterans is lower than that in the nonveteran kidney failure population. The VA has made access to high quality home dialysis a strategic priority.
VA Security Guards Consistently Failed to Detect Weapons, Other Contraband in Security Tests
VA police officers tasked with guarding medical facilities consistently failed to detect weapons and other contraband in a security test conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a recent report reveals.
Suicide Risk Higher in Active-Duty Army Servicemembers Who Carry Weapons
Among U.S. Army servicemembers who own firearms, carrying them, as well as other weapons, and storing them unsecured are associated with greater risk of suicide, according to a recent study.
Staffing Challenges at VA Keeping Homeless Veterans From Getting Help They Need
Tens of thousands of homeless and at-risk veterans who are eligible for VA’s largest housing assistance program are not being referred to it because of staffing challenges at VAMCs, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report.
Concerns Raised Over New Limitations for SAMHSA Grants; Federal Group Also Has Faced Severe Staff Cuts
New limitations on how Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) grant can be used has sparked confusion and concern, as has a campaign by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. urging providers to limit psychiatric medications which have been proven effective in combating depression and preventing suicide.
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.
