Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Viewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating children with mental illness is complicated; abuse of painkillers

Just in time for Veterans Day, the embattled secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, announced last week that his department had reduced its backlog of overdue disability claims from more than 600,000 in March to about 400,000. "The trend line is in the right direction," Shinseki told reporters, noting that the VA had cut the number of claims older than a year by 93%. With hundreds of thousands of cases still unresolved, Shinseki hasn't gotten much credit so far - but to the surprise of his critics, he's on track to achieve his goal of eliminating the backlog by 2015. Still, that won't solve all the VA's problems; far from it (Doyle McManus, 11/10).

12 Nov 2013

Researchers find reductions in depressive symptoms for older, younger veterans undergoing CBT-D

Researchers have found significant and equivalent reductions in depressive symptoms for both older and younger veterans undergoing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for depression (CBT-D), according to an article published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences on November 11.

12 Nov 2013

Many Boston-area military veterans psychologically affected by Boston Marathon Bombing

According to a new study, many Boston-area military veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder experienced flashbacks, unwanted memories and other psychological effects as a result of the Boston Marathon Bombing in April 2013.

11 Nov 2013

Online skin cancer detection training course improves physicians skill levels

Primary care physicians who took an online training course about skin cancer detection significantly improved their skill to properly diagnose and manage benign and malignant lesions, according to a national study from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

8 Nov 2013

UCLA launches first university-based military medicine center to care for wounded veterans

UCLA has launched the first university-based military medicine center on the West Coast, thanks to a generous donation from two sons in honor their father, the inventor, entrepreneur and philanthropist Ronald A. Katz.

7 Nov 2013

Use of testosterone therapy after angiography associated with increased risk of death

Among a group of men who underwent coronary angiography and had a low serum testosterone level, the use of testosterone therapy was associated with increased risk of death, heart attack, or ischemic stroke, according to a study in the November 6 issue of JAMA.

6 Nov 2013

Blood pressure tailored treatment reduces individual's risk of heart disease and strokes

A new way of using blood pressure-lowering medications could prevent more than a fourth of heart attacks and strokes - up to 180,000 a year - while using less medication overall, according to new research from the University of Michigan Health System and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System.

4 Nov 2013

Scientists find key gene that activates muscle growth

For decades, scientists have searched for treatments for myopathies - genetic muscular diseases such as muscular dystrophy and ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease.

4 Nov 2013

Researchers identify new way to determine successful surgical outcomes for epilepsy

A discovery from Case Western Reserve and Cleveland Clinic researchers could provide epilepsy patients invaluable advance guidance about their chances to improve symptoms through surgery.

31 Oct 2013

New finding could help lead to better treatments for eczema

For the millions of people suffering from the intensely red, horribly itchy skin condition known as eczema, the only thing more maddening than their disease is the lack of understanding of what causes it, or makes it flare up from time to time.

31 Oct 2013

ATS and ACCP release five recommendations for tests, procedures in pulmonary medicine

A list released today identified five commonly performed tests and procedures in pulmonary medicine that may not always be necessary. The list, part of the ABIM Foundation's Choosing Wisely® campaign, was produced by a collaborative task force assembled by the American Thoracic Society (ATS) and the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP).

30 Oct 2013

MRSA cases continue to decline in VA medical centers

Five years after implementing a national initiative to reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) rates in Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, MRSA cases have continued to decline, according to a study in the November issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, the official publication of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC).

30 Oct 2013

New pulmonary medicine list includes five recommendations to improve patient care and outcomes

A list released today identified five commonly performed tests and procedures in pulmonary medicine that may not always be necessary. The list, part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely campaign, was produced by a collaborative task force assembled by the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.

30 Oct 2013

Study: Gene Expression Classifier test reduces unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment

The latest study co-led by a CU School of Medicine researcher has confirmed that a Gene Expression Classifier (GEC) test can drastically reduce the problem of unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment.

25 Oct 2013

CCTSI receives $48.4M grant from NIH to continue seamless, safe translation of biomedical research

Research has found that what is most important to an aging senior citizen is independence. A collaborative study through the Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) and the Center for African American Health is working with African American women to discuss the importance of walking.

23 Oct 2013

Scientist receives NIH New Innovator Award to design innovative approaches for cancer treatment

Derek Taylor, PhD, a member of the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, has been awarded the prestigious New Innovator Award by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

22 Oct 2013

Review article looks at recent research about insomnia among American soldiers

Various behavioral treatment options are helping to treat the sleeplessness experienced by one in every two American soldiers who have been deployed in recent military operations. So says Dr. Adam Bramoweth of the Department of Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, and Dr. Anne Germain of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in the US.

17 Oct 2013

Using mobile device to check drug info prevents adverse events, say nursing home doctors

Nearly nine out of 10 nursing home physicians said that using their mobile devices to look up prescription drug information prevented at least one adverse drug event in the previous month, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Department of Biomedical Informatics study published last week in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

17 Oct 2013

New $1.9M research grant to support investigators to detect tumors in earliest stages of formation

The National Cancer Institute's new Provocative Questions research funding program has awarded a prestigious grant to researchers at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and Case Western Reserve University's Schools of Medicine and Engineering to study tumor detection at the earliest stages of growth.

16 Oct 2013

CU researchers explore why maximum heart rate decreases with age

Researchers at the University of Colorado have new insight into the age-old question of why maximum heart rate decreases with age. This decrease in maxHR not only limits the performance of aging athletes but it is also a leading cause for nursing home admittance for otherwise-healthy elderly individuals who no longer have the physical capacity required for independent living.

16 Oct 2013

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Viewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating children with mental illness is complicated; abuse of painkillers

Researchers find reductions in depressive symptoms for older, younger veterans undergoing CBT-D

Many Boston-area military veterans psychologically affected by Boston Marathon Bombing

Online skin cancer detection training course improves physicians skill levels

UCLA launches first university-based military medicine center to care for wounded veterans

Use of testosterone therapy after angiography associated with increased risk of death

Blood pressure tailored treatment reduces individual's risk of heart disease and strokes

Scientists find key gene that activates muscle growth

Researchers identify new way to determine successful surgical outcomes for epilepsy

New finding could help lead to better treatments for eczema

ATS and ACCP release five recommendations for tests, procedures in pulmonary medicine

MRSA cases continue to decline in VA medical centers

New pulmonary medicine list includes five recommendations to improve patient care and outcomes

Study: Gene Expression Classifier test reduces unnecessary surgeries in thyroid nodule assessment

CCTSI receives $48.4M grant from NIH to continue seamless, safe translation of biomedical research

Scientist receives NIH New Innovator Award to design innovative approaches for cancer treatment

Review article looks at recent research about insomnia among American soldiers

Using mobile device to check drug info prevents adverse events, say nursing home doctors

New $1.9M research grant to support investigators to detect tumors in earliest stages of formation

CU researchers explore why maximum heart rate decreases with age

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