Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Cardiac risk patients treated with beta-blockers have lower rates of mortality

Patients at elevated cardiac risk who were treated with beta-blockers on the day of or following noncardiac, nonvascular surgery had significantly lower rates of 30-day mortality and cardiac illness, according to a study in the April 24 issue of JAMA.

25 Apr 2013

Beta blockade aids select surgery patients

Research supports the use of perioperative beta blockade in patients with cardiovascular risk factors undergoing nonvascular procedures, finding this treatment to significantly improve short-term survival.

25 Apr 2013

Study: About 42% of screened veterans with blast injuries have irregular hormone levels

Up to 20 percent of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq have experienced at least one blast concussion. New research suggests that nearly half these veterans may have a problem so under-recognized that even military physicians may fail to look for it.

23 Apr 2013

Highlights: Local Kan. program seeks to prevent readmissions with food deliveries; Conn. officials want stricter limit on insurer markup

A selection of health policy stories from Kansas, Connecticut, Oregon, the District of Columbia, Texas, Florida, Minnesota and California.

20 Apr 2013

Proposed computer application wins People's Choice for Healthcare Delivery contest

A proposed computer application that will translate what happens during a visit to the doctor's office into a customized, printable summary of actionable items that a patient can take home or have e-mailed to designated recipients has won the Regenstrief Institute's People's Choice for Healthcare Delivery contest.

19 Apr 2013

Neuroscientists develop reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children

Neuroscientists from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and the University of Toronto have developed an efficient and reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children.

18 Apr 2013

Study examines patient-centered decision making, health care outcomes

Patients' health outcomes improve when physicians individualize care and take their patients' life circumstances into account, according to a new study by the University of Illinois at Chicago and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

17 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: 9 'brilliant legal minds' wrestle with tough biological questions in gene case; Drug overdoses take surprising toll in Calif.; VA case raises privacy questions

When the Supreme Court took up the question Monday of whether genes could be patented, the justices were clearly concerned about preserving innovation in medicine and biotechnology. But the issue presented by Myriad Genetics' patents on the BRCA genes cuts both ways, leading to a potential split among the justices (Jon Healey, 4/15).

17 Apr 2013

Study finds genetic variation is associated with pulmonary fibrosis risk

A newly published study of patients with pulmonary fibrosis has discovered multiple genetic variations that should help with future efforts to treat the disease.

16 Apr 2013

High levels of blood cholesterol increase risk of AD and heart disease

Researchers at the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome and the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found that a single mechanism may underlie the damaging effect of cholesterol on the brain and on blood vessels.

16 Apr 2013

Researchers discover new technique that directly converts skin cells into functional brain cells

Researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine have discovered a technique that directly converts skin cells to the type of brain cells destroyed in patients with multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other so-called myelin disorders.

15 Apr 2013

Nearly 8% of patients in VHA visit emergency department two or more times per year: Study

Even with health insurance, ready access to preventive, specialty and behavioral health care and comprehensive electronic medical records, nearly 8 percent of patients in the Veterans Health Administration visit the emergency department two or more times per year, according to a study published online Tuesday in Annals of Emergency Medicine ("What Drives Frequent Emergency Department Use in an Integrated Health System: National Data from the Veterans Health Administration").

15 Apr 2013

Chronic daily pain continues to be burden for limb-injured veterans, says pain management expert

Veterans who sustained major limb injuries during combat reported little improvement in symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental-health problems up to 2 years post injury, according to research presented today.

15 Apr 2013

Report shows interventions that can effectively treat PTSD are not being used

Post-traumatic stress disorder affects nearly 8 million adults in any given year, federal statistics show. Fortunately, clinical research has identified certain psychological interventions that effectively ameliorate the symptoms of PTSD. But most people struggling with PTSD don't receive those treatments, according to a new report published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest.

12 Apr 2013

Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

Placement of copper objects in intensive care unit (ICU) hospital rooms reduced the number of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in patients by more than half, according to a new study published in the May issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, in a special topic issue focused on the role of the environment in infection prevention.

10 Apr 2013

New book explores how faculty at academic health centers pursue, achieve success in research

The future of basic and translational research in health care depends on the ability of large, complex health science centers to educate, discover new answers to extremely complicated problems and operate for the public good.

10 Apr 2013

Disinfection intervention highlights effective method in removing antibiotic-resistant bug

With rates and deaths associated with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) at historically high levels, many hospitals have taken extra steps to reduce these infections. New research finds that a dedicated daily cleaning crew who adequately clean and disinfect rooms contaminated by C. difficile using a standardized process can be more effective than other disinfection interventions.

10 Apr 2013

Military health care: Shallow candidate pool could hamper mental health efforts

The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to hire 1,600 mental health professionals, but some say a shallow pool of candidates could hamper efforts, while Congress continues to resist making military health care beneficiaries pay more for their care.

9 Apr 2013

Male smokers with low levels of serum bilirubin are at higher risk for lung cancer

Elevated levels of bilirubin in the blood get attention in the clinic because they often indicate that something has gone wrong with the liver. Now researchers have found that male smokers with low levels of the yellow-tinged chemical are at higher risk for lung cancer and dying from the disease.

8 Apr 2013

First Edition: April 8, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about the politics surrounding the Wednesday unveiling of President Barack Obama's budget as well as other news about the health law's implementation.

8 Apr 2013

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Cardiac risk patients treated with beta-blockers have lower rates of mortality

Beta blockade aids select surgery patients

Study: About 42% of screened veterans with blast injuries have irregular hormone levels

Highlights: Local Kan. program seeks to prevent readmissions with food deliveries; Conn. officials want stricter limit on insurer markup

Proposed computer application wins People's Choice for Healthcare Delivery contest

Neuroscientists develop reliable method of analyzing brain activity to detect autism in children

Study examines patient-centered decision making, health care outcomes

Viewpoints: 9 'brilliant legal minds' wrestle with tough biological questions in gene case; Drug overdoses take surprising toll in Calif.; VA case raises privacy questions

Study finds genetic variation is associated with pulmonary fibrosis risk

High levels of blood cholesterol increase risk of AD and heart disease

Researchers discover new technique that directly converts skin cells into functional brain cells

Nearly 8% of patients in VHA visit emergency department two or more times per year: Study

Chronic daily pain continues to be burden for limb-injured veterans, says pain management expert

Report shows interventions that can effectively treat PTSD are not being used

Study shows copper objects in ICUs reduce healthcare-acquired infections by 50%

New book explores how faculty at academic health centers pursue, achieve success in research

Disinfection intervention highlights effective method in removing antibiotic-resistant bug

Military health care: Shallow candidate pool could hamper mental health efforts

Male smokers with low levels of serum bilirubin are at higher risk for lung cancer

First Edition: April 8, 2013

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