Veterans Affairs News and Research

RSS

Scientists identify and prioritize genes associated with schizophrenia

An Indiana University-led research team, along with a group of national and international collaborators, has identified and prioritized a comprehensive group of genes most associated with schizophrenia that together can generate a score indicating whether an individual is at higher or lower risk of developing the disease.

16 May 2012

Reducing off-label antipsychotic use may generate savings with little impact on patient care

Reducing the non-FDA-approved use of antipsychotic drugs may be a way to save money while having little effect on patient care, according to a Penn State College of Medicine study.

16 May 2012

VA releases task force draft plan to address women Veterans' issues

The Department of Veterans Affairs is releasing for public comment a draft of its strategic report to address key issues facing women Veterans. The plan outlines steps for improvements to care and services for women Veterans that are sustainable, accountable and a part of the department's culture and operations.

16 May 2012

CU scientist looks at reward circuits in the brain

Why does one person become anorexic and another obese? A study recently published by a University of Colorado School of Medicine researcher shows that reward circuits in the brain are sensitized in anorexic women and desensitized in obese women.

15 May 2012

EO2 Concepts added to Marathon Medical's FSS contract

Electrochemical Oxygen Concepts, the developer of a unique and innovative chronic wound treatment device, announced it has been added to Marathon Medical's existing Federal Supply Schedule (FSS) contract, administered by The Department of Veterans Affairs.

11 May 2012

Preclinical evidence demonstrates link between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease

The link between psoriasis and cardiovascular events has been observed for years, however the mechanics were unknown. For the first time, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine researchers have discovered preclinical evidence demonstrating that the inflammatory skin disease leads to cardiovascular disease. Further, the research demonstrated that aggressive reversal of psoriasis reduces the cardiovascular risk as well.

11 May 2012

Misdiagnosis of MS more common than previously thought

It is relatively common for doctors to diagnose someone with multiple sclerosis when the patient doesn't have the disease - a misdiagnosis that not only causes patients potential harm but costs the U.S. health care system untold millions of dollars a year, according to a study published online today in the journal Neurology.

10 May 2012

Federal appeals court reverses ruling on VA mental health care

The court dismissed a lawsuit brought by veterans' groups on the basis that courts do not have authority to order such changes in how the Department of Veterans Affairs system delivers care.

9 May 2012

Highlights of orthopaedic research studies in JBJS

Below are highlights of orthopaedic research studies appearing in the May 2, 2012 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS), as well as the issue's full Table of Contents.

9 May 2012

First Edition: May 8, 2012

Today's headlines include highlights of how congressional action surrounding the budget and the student loan program could impact health policy.

8 May 2012

New analysis on why some soldiers never seek PTSD care

U.S. Army researcher Maj. Gary H. Wynn, M.D., shared new analysis on why some Soldiers suffering from combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) never seek care or drop out of treatment early during a presentation today at the American Psychiatric Association's annual meeting. His presentation, "Epidemiology of Combat-Related PTSD in U.S. Service Members: Lessons Learned," also described the approaches the Army is using to address this issue and improve overall patient outcomes.

8 May 2012

State roundup: Calif. fight over group homes for seniors; New agency proposed to police disabled care in NY; Conn. retiree health plan expansion could endanger protections

Neighbors were already concerned about the growing number of group homes for the elderly and recovering addicts in the area, many of them for profit. A Times analysis found 24 licensed facilities offering residential care for the elderly within a mile of the proposed project and three more waiting for state approval. It is one of several such clusters that have emerged in Los Angeles County -- including parts of the San Fernando Valley and South Bay -- where families can afford fees that run into thousands of dollars per month. Large swaths of the county's less affluent areas have no such facilities.

8 May 2012

School-based health centers highly effective in delivering comprehensive care

New research from the University of Colorado School of Medicine shows that school-based health centers are highly effective in delivering comprehensive care, especially vaccines to adolescents.

7 May 2012

Eye color linked to high-risk for skin conditions

Eye color may be an indicator of whether a person is high-risk for certain serious skin conditions. A study, led by the University of Colorado School of Medicine, shows people with blue eyes are less likely to have vitiligo.

7 May 2012

Viewpoints: Limited choices for prescriptions; Health mandate is about liberty; VA fails to serve vets' mental health needs

Just a few years ago, so-called pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, like Medco would contract with most leading drugstore chains so people could fill their prescriptions almost anywhere they pleased. Then the PBMs realized they could operate more efficiently and profitably by limiting people's choices to a single drugstore - their own. So they laid down the law with consumers.

5 May 2012

Current research does not support use of smell tests for Alzheimer's dementia

Current research does not support the use of smell tests for predicting Alzheimer's dementia, according to a comprehensive review by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars at the University of Michigan and the VA Center for Clinical Management Research.

4 May 2012

State of health, not age, should decide treatment for cancer

In a study of patients 65 and older with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), younger patients were more likely to receive treatment than older patients, regardless of overall health and prognosis.

3 May 2012

The skills of VA nurses under examination after patient deaths

Earlier this month, a broader review by the VA inspector general of 29 VA facilities found only half had adequately documented that their nurses had the needed skills. ... The April 20 IG report also noted that previous inspections had found nurse competency issues in "dialysis, mental health, long-term care, spinal cord injury, endoscopy procedure areas, the operating room and the cardiac catheterization laboratory and with reusable medical equipment.

2 May 2012

ACE inhibitors or ARBs could treat and prevent PTSD

Traumatized people who take a class of common blood pressure medications tend to have less severe post-traumatic stress symptoms, researchers have found.

2 May 2012

Checklist for seniors to reduce risk of falls

For those 65 and older, falling can be fatal; in fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among this age group, and some 40 percent of seniors fall at least once each year. Additionally, one in four who sustains a hip fracture from a fall will die within a year, and another 50 percent will never return to their pre-fall level of mobility.

27 Apr 2012