Veterans Affairs News and Research

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More studies needed to compare the efficacy of different biologic drugs for RA, say researchers

More studies that directly compare the effectiveness of different biologic drugs for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are needed, say Cochrane Researchers. The researchers reviewed all previous Cochrane Systematic Reviews assessing the effectiveness of biologic disease-modifying drugs for treatment of RA and found that although all were very effective, there was little data on direct comparisons between the drugs that could help doctors decide which to prescribe.

7 Oct 2009

$16 million federal stimulus funds establish Seattle as national hub for cancer research

Researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Group Health Research Institute and the University of Washington schools of Public Health and Pharmacy have been selected to lead four projects backed by approximately $16 million in federal stimulus funding for comparative-effectiveness research in cancer.

7 Oct 2009

Premera Blue Cross supports cancer diagnostics study

Premera Blue Cross applauds today’s announcement by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Group Health Research Institute, and the University of Washington Schools of Public Health and Pharmacy.

6 Oct 2009

Unique program for women veterans

At a time when Americans are just beginning to pay attention to the special challenges faced by women who have served in the military, the Northampton-based non-profit Soldier On has created a national model for helping women veterans in crisis.

6 Oct 2009

Vaccine to treat cocaine dependence reduces use of the drug, according to study

A vaccine to treat cocaine dependence appears to reduce use of the drug in a subgroup of individuals who attain high anticocaine antibody levels in response, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. However, only 38 percent of vaccinated individuals produced high enough antibody levels and those who did maintained them for only two months.

6 Oct 2009

Drivers with Parkinson's disease at greater risk of crashes on foggy days

Drivers with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease may be at higher risk of crashes on foggy days and other times of low visibility. The research, involving a driving simulation test, is published in the October 6, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

6 Oct 2009

$16 million federal stimulus funds for cancer research projects

6 Oct 2009

New genetic alteration can cause familial cancers

Duke University Medical Center and National Cancer Institute scientists have discovered that a novel genetic alteration - a second copy of an entire gene - is a cause of familial chordoma, an uncommon form of cancer arising in bones and frequently affecting the nervous system.

5 Oct 2009

CHI announces its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum

California Healthcare Institute today announced its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum to be held Nov. 5, at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco Hotel, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

3 Oct 2009

Researchers discover that Merkel cells originate in the skin

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine assistant professor of pediatrics, neurosciences and otolaryngology, Stephen M. Maricich, M.D., Ph.D., and his team found that Merkel cells originate in the skin, not the neural crest lineage, as previously speculated.

3 Oct 2009

FDA grants Fast Track designation to Corthera's relaxin for treating acute heart failure

Corthera Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Fast Track designation to relaxin, the company's investigational drug for the treatment of acute heart failure (AHF). The Fast Track program facilitates the development and expedites the review of new drugs intended to treat serious or life-threatening conditions and that demonstrate the potential to address unmet medical needs.

3 Oct 2009

Researchers develop integrated treatment program for PTSD affected veterans

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a growing number of soldiers evacuated to the United States for comprehensive care for physical and psychological trauma. Given the number of physical injuries often experienced by soldiers, it is not surprising that chronic pain is a frequent problem among returning soldiers from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). Common sources of pain are in the head (traumatic-brain injury or post-concussion syndrome), legs (fractures, amputations, burns) and shoulders.

1 Oct 2009

VA's reliance on for-profit health care providers is straining medical center budgets, says Union

The American Federation of Government Employees today told Congress that the Department of Veterans Affairs' over reliance on private for-profit health care providers is straining medical center budgets and jeopardizing veterans' health care. AFGE represents 180,000 employees on the frontlines of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

1 Oct 2009

Senate Committee rejects public insurance option

The Senate Finance Committee voted down Tuesday two amendments to include a public options for health insurance coverage in health care reform.

1 Oct 2009

The American Legion urges Congress to pass VA budget without delay

The leader of The American Legion expressed disappointment today at the failure of Congress to okay an appropriations bill to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs during this new fiscal year, though a Continuing Resolution (CR) to provide additional funding for VA medical accounts was approved.

1 Oct 2009

New 'movements' seek to introduce preventive, mental health care in new settings

A nationwide effort to coordinate mental health with primary care is underway, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. "The idea is to give simple interventions in 15- to 30-minute visits that will address behavioral issues ranging from stress to traumatic reactions that often go untreated." Some clinics have coupled licensed social workers with their other clinical staff; the mental health experts provide services while patients and family members receive physical care.

30 Sep 2009

Promised e-health improvements also come with shortcomings, risks

Efforts to achieve greater efficiency and higher quality in health care through new health information technologies are not without new risks as well.

30 Sep 2009

Abnormal results on outpatient imaging tests may not receive timely follow-up, says report

Abnormal results on outpatient imaging tests sometimes may not receive timely follow-up even when clinicians receive and read results in an advanced, integrated electronic medical record system, according to a report in the September 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

29 Sep 2009

Non-AIDS-defining malignancies more prevalent among HIV-infected patients than non-HIV patients

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found that non-AIDS-defining malignancies such as anal and lung cancer have become more prevalent among HIV-infected patients than non-HIV patients since the introduction of anti-retroviral therapies in the mid-1990s.

25 Sep 2009

Social disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Since the introduction of statins to treat high cholesterol, the decline in lipid levels experienced by the wealthy has been double that experienced by the poor. While statins are highly effective in reducing cholesterol and improving heart health, their use may have contributed to expanding social disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, according to research by Virginia W. Chang, MD, PhD, of the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Pennsylvania, and Diane S. Lauderdale, PhD, of the University of Chicago, published in the September issue of Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

25 Sep 2009

Veterans Affairs News and Research

More studies needed to compare the efficacy of different biologic drugs for RA, say researchers

$16 million federal stimulus funds establish Seattle as national hub for cancer research

Premera Blue Cross supports cancer diagnostics study

Unique program for women veterans

Vaccine to treat cocaine dependence reduces use of the drug, according to study

Drivers with Parkinson's disease at greater risk of crashes on foggy days

$16 million federal stimulus funds for cancer research projects

New genetic alteration can cause familial cancers

CHI announces its speaker lineup for the 2009 California Healthcare Policy Forum

Researchers discover that Merkel cells originate in the skin

FDA grants Fast Track designation to Corthera's relaxin for treating acute heart failure

Researchers develop integrated treatment program for PTSD affected veterans

VA's reliance on for-profit health care providers is straining medical center budgets, says Union

Senate Committee rejects public insurance option

The American Legion urges Congress to pass VA budget without delay

New 'movements' seek to introduce preventive, mental health care in new settings

Promised e-health improvements also come with shortcomings, risks

Abnormal results on outpatient imaging tests may not receive timely follow-up, says report

Non-AIDS-defining malignancies more prevalent among HIV-infected patients than non-HIV patients

Social disparities in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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