Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Komen ads overstate benefits of mammograms, professors charge

Two Dartmouth health policy experts criticize the national breast cancer charity for using misleading statistics to promote breast cancer screening.

3 Aug 2012

Chk1 gene alone is sufficient to kill cancer cells

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have discovered a mutant form of the gene, Chk1, that when expressed in cancer cells, permanently stopped their proliferation and caused cell death without the addition of any chemotherapeutic drugs.

1 Aug 2012

VA releases PE Coach mobile app for use with PTSD treatment

The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have released PE (for prolonged exposure) Coach, a smartphone mobile application for use with post-traumatic stress disorder treatment. Both departments use prolonged exposure therapy as an effective treatment for PTSD. PE Coach is a free app for Apple and Android mobile devices.

31 Jul 2012

EPHA3 mutations may be important drivers of lung cancers

Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers have identified how one of the genes most commonly mutated in lung cancer may promote such tumors.

31 Jul 2012

U of U researchers to develop new prosthetic device for veterans with limb amputations

Thousands of veterans and warfighters returning to the U.S. suffer with limb amputations, and for many, standard prosthetics are not an option. Skin issues or short remaining-limb length can cause amputees to forgo the typical socket-type attachment systems.

28 Jul 2012

VA, defense bureaucracy frustrates efforts to streamline military health care

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki acknowledged Wednesday that they have been frustrated by departmental bureaucracy in their attempts to streamline military health care for severely wounded service members.

28 Jul 2012

Research roundup: Slowdown in medical imaging; Hospitals' efforts mixed on reducing readmissions

Recent research showed a slowdown in the use of medical imaging for people enrolled in Medicare. This article follows up and finds that annual imaging growth slowed down from an average of 14 percent between 2000 and 2005 to 2.6 percent between 2006 and 2009. An analysis of commercial insurance claims shows a similar trend outside of Medicare. Based on

28 Jul 2012

Roundup: Mass. lawmakers struggle to reach agreement on cost controls; $100M grant for Calif. stem cell research; N.C. to move mentally ill from elderly homes

The House and Senate are under the gun to reach an agreement on how to lower health care costs while improving care. A conference committee aims to have a bill out on Sunday. Their deadline is Monday evening. In the meantime, several major issues are still unresolved, including what to do about hospitals that use their market clout to demand high prices that are not based on higher quality. Attorney General Martha Coakley, the state's top insurers and several consumer groups argue that price is a critical issue.

28 Jul 2012

Discrepancies in ICU use identified

An analysis of intensive care unit use in the USA reveals that many patients admitted to this specialist department are at low risk for mortality, while more than half of patients with a high mortality risk are admitted to other departments.

27 Jul 2012

First Edition: July 27, 2012

Today's headlines include reports about a new effort launched by the Obama administration and insurers to fight health care fraud.

27 Jul 2012

New association found between basal cell carcinoma and eczema

In the powerful sunlight of July, newly published results from a large study of people at high risk for basal cell carcinoma support the emerging view of the nation's most common cancer as a chronic ailment that often repeatedly afflicts older people but for which the seeds may be planted in youth. The research also found a new association with eczema.

26 Jul 2012

Hypoxic lung environment increases HIF-2a tumor growth signaling

In addition to the well-known risk factor of smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases lung cancer risk.

25 Jul 2012

Research roundup: Gastric bypass costs, paying for psychotherapy

Health Expenditures Among High-Risk Patients After Gastric Bypass and Matched Controls -- A few studies have shown that bariatric surgery can help reduce health care spending by obese patients, particularly those with conditions such as diabetes. This latest study looked at 847 patients who received bariatric surgery through the Veterans Affairs medical system. Inpatient and outpatient spending both before and after surgery were compared to 847 obese patients who did not have the operation.

21 Jul 2012

VA plans to open 13 new community-based outpatient clinics in nine states

As part of the continuing effort to provide world-class health care closer to where more Veterans live, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs today announced plans to open 13 new community-based outpatient clinics in nine states.

20 Jul 2012

DBS achieves stable motor improvements in Parkinson’s

Deep brain stimulation for patients with Parkinson’s disease achieves improvements in motor symptoms that are sustained over 3 years, report researchers.

19 Jul 2012

New procedure can shut down irregular heart rhythms

Researchers from UC San Diego, the University of California Los Angeles and Indiana University report having found, for the first time, that atrial fibrillation or irregular heart rhythms is caused by small electrical sources within the heart, in the form of electrical spinning tops ("rotors") or focal beats. Importantly, they found a way of detecting these key sources, then precisely targeting them for therapy that can shut them down in minutes with long lasting results.

19 Jul 2012

Memantine boosts memory function in people with Down syndrome

Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have found a drug that boosts memory function in those with Down syndrome, a major milestone in the treatment of this genetic disorder that could significantly improve quality of life.

18 Jul 2012

Many bipolar patients unaware of co-occurring medical conditions

Co-occurring medical conditions are common among patients with bipolar disorder, but many may not be aware that they have such conditions, say researchers.

12 Jul 2012

Researchers identify set of laboratory-based biomarkers that aid in diagnosis of schizophrenia

In the current online issue of PLoS ONE, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine say they have identified a set of laboratory-based biomarkers that can be useful for understanding brain-based abnormalities in schizophrenia. The measurements, known as endophenotypes, could ultimately be a boon to clinicians who sometimes struggle to recognize and treat the complex and confounding mental disorder.

12 Jul 2012

Mindfulness techniques show health benefits

Specific types of "mindfulness practices" including Zen meditation have research-proven benefits for patients with certain physical and mental health problems, according to a report in the July Journal of Psychiatric Practice.

12 Jul 2012