Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Susceptibility to Hepatitis A in patients with chronic liver disease due to Hepatitis C virus infection: missed opportunities for vaccination

A new study examining whether patients with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) were routinely vaccinated against Hepatitis A virus (HAV) found that vaccination rates were low, even though HAV vaccination is recommended for patients with chronic liver disease.

23 Aug 2005

Study shows potential treatment for brain cancer

A compound that kills cancer can sneak past the blood brain barrier, which protects the brain from foreign substances, to do its work in fighting a particularly invasive brain cancer, according to a new Saint Louis University animal study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online Early Edition the week of Aug. 22.

22 Aug 2005

Psychiatric disorders represent an independent risk factor for delay in cancer diagnosis

Patients with psychiatric disorders are diagnosed with esophageal cancer much later and at a more advanced stage than patients with no psychiatric diagnosis, according to a study conducted by researchers in the Oregon Health & Science University Digestive Health Center.

15 Aug 2005

Men and women receive remarkably similar outpatient care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),

The study looked at nine measures of quality care that are equally appropriate for women and men, including pneumonia and influenza vaccinations; colorectal cancer screenings; and eye examinations for diabetics, to determine what percentage of VA patients received appropriate care for their gender.

11 Aug 2005

Beta-blockers top choice for prevention and rate control for postoperative atrial fibrillation

The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) has released the first evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF) after cardiac surgery.

9 Aug 2005

Lowering the current PSA threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy may subject millions of men to unnecessary, potentially harmful medical procedures

Lowering the current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy may subject millions of men to unnecessary, potentially harmful medical procedures with no evidence that it will improve prostate cancer mortality rates, according to a new study in the August 3 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

2 Aug 2005

New guidelines to help physicians treat and prevent heart attacks

A University of Cincinnati (UC) physician is the lead author of new, simplified guidelines designed to help physicians treat and prevent heart attacks.

2 Aug 2005

American Psychological Association lauds action agendas to transform U.S. mental health system

The American Psychological Association (APA) lauds the release of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform's action agenda, Emergency Response: A Roadmap for Federal Action on America's Mental Health Crisis, designed to help the federal government transform the delivery of mental health services.

2 Aug 2005

Omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory

A study conducted at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) has demonstrated that omega-6 fatty acids such as the fat found in corn oil promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory.

2 Aug 2005

Habit memory - humans clearly can acquire and retain knowledge through repetition

Humans have a "robust" capacity to learn and retain new information unconsciously, retaining so-called habit memory even when conscious or declarative learning is absent, memory experts at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the San Diego Veterans Affairs Health System report in the July 28, 2005 issue of Nature.

27 Jul 2005

Virtual colonoscopy for colon cancer

Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) depicts cancers and other clinically important conditions that would be missed with standard colonoscopy and at very little additional cost, according to a study in the August issue of Radiology.

26 Jul 2005

Study offers a unique perspective on the beginnings of the alcohol experience and usage patterns of 12-year-olds

Clues looking into the root causes of alcoholism are emerging from new findings that center on the genetic patterns of young drinkers, with particular focus on why adolescents are more likely to drink large quantities of alcohol even if they need more alcohol to get the effects they desire.

25 Jul 2005

Less than 1 percent of health plan members are actually diagnosed with alcoholism or related disorders

Less than 1 percent of health plan members are actually diagnosed with alcoholism or related disorders, according to data from a national performance measurement project released today in New York City at the American Medical Association Media Briefing, Alcohol Dependence: From Science to Solutions.

24 Jul 2005

Moraxella catarrhalis found to be responsible for 10 percent of exacerbations of COPD

A ubiquitous bacterial strain thought to be uninvolved in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in fact is responsible for 2-4 million flare-ups of the condition that occur annually in the United States, researchers from the University at Buffalo have shown.

20 Jul 2005

Quality of care in U.S. hospitals

Ashish Jha, assistant professor of health policy and management at the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Boston Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, have for the first time assessed the quality of care in U.S. hospitals.

20 Jul 2005

Study provides evidence that hormone treatments can be beneficial to limiting cardiovascular ailments

UC Irvine School of Medicine researchers have identified how estrogen helps prevents a cardiac ailment often seen in women who have heart attacks. This research provides further evidence that hormone replacement therapy after menopause can help prevent certain forms of cardiovascular disease in women.

19 Jul 2005

At the end of life hospices better option for the elderly than nursing homes

A new study has shown that straight talking elderly people, who are facing death in nursing homes, raises the likelihood of them agreeing to enter hospices in the last days of their life.

14 Jul 2005

Single mutation in a human sodium channel gene can trigger pain in people with primary erythromelalgia

Yale School of Medicine researchers report the first demonstration that a single mutation in a human sodium channel gene can trigger pain in people with an inherited pain syndrome known as primary erythromelalgia, according to a study published this month in the journal Brain.

13 Jul 2005

Hospice referral rates increase with intervention

A simple information and communication intervention between a patient and physician can increase hospice referral rates among nursing home residents, increase their families' ratings of end-of-life care, and may decrease use of acute care resources, according to an article in the July 13 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

13 Jul 2005

Minimally invasive approach to removing diseased thyroids

An incision about half the length used for traditional surgery works just as well in removing diseased thyroids, researchers have found.

27 Jun 2005

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Susceptibility to Hepatitis A in patients with chronic liver disease due to Hepatitis C virus infection: missed opportunities for vaccination

Study shows potential treatment for brain cancer

Psychiatric disorders represent an independent risk factor for delay in cancer diagnosis

Men and women receive remarkably similar outpatient care at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA),

Beta-blockers top choice for prevention and rate control for postoperative atrial fibrillation

Lowering the current PSA threshold for recommending a prostate biopsy may subject millions of men to unnecessary, potentially harmful medical procedures

New guidelines to help physicians treat and prevent heart attacks

American Psychological Association lauds action agendas to transform U.S. mental health system

Omega-6 fatty acids promote the growth of prostate tumor cells in the laboratory

Habit memory - humans clearly can acquire and retain knowledge through repetition

Virtual colonoscopy for colon cancer

Study offers a unique perspective on the beginnings of the alcohol experience and usage patterns of 12-year-olds

Less than 1 percent of health plan members are actually diagnosed with alcoholism or related disorders

Moraxella catarrhalis found to be responsible for 10 percent of exacerbations of COPD

Quality of care in U.S. hospitals

Study provides evidence that hormone treatments can be beneficial to limiting cardiovascular ailments

At the end of life hospices better option for the elderly than nursing homes

Single mutation in a human sodium channel gene can trigger pain in people with primary erythromelalgia

Hospice referral rates increase with intervention

Minimally invasive approach to removing diseased thyroids

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

How microplastics and bacteria interact to drive antibiotic resistance

Single-cell proteomics: Revealing proteome diversity from cellular heterogeneity to non-canonical biology

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