Veterans Affairs News and Research

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Study links heartburn drugs to fatal cases of heart, kidney disease and gastrointestinal cancer

Extended use of popular drugs to treat heartburn, ulcers and acid reflux has been associated with an increased risk of premature death. However, little has been known about the specific causes of death attributed to the drugs.

30 May 2019

Endovascular aneurysm procedure shown to perform as well as open surgery

A minimally invasive procedure to repair abdominal aneurysms thought to be less effective than traditional open surgery has been shown to perform as well as the open repair and be as long-lasting.

30 May 2019

Researchers find link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's

Researchers with the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Emory University have found a link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

29 May 2019

Five new genetic risk loci associated with maximum habitual alcohol use identified

A genome-wide association study has identified five new genetic risk loci that can pass on risk for harmful alcohol use from parents to children, and confirmed one previously identified risk locus.

28 May 2019

Veterans with mental health conditions more likely to use cardiac rehabilitation services

Veterans who have post-traumatic stress disorder and/or depression were more likely to use cardiac rehabilitation services after an episode of ischemic heart disease than those who didn't have PTSD or depression, according to new research in Journal of the American Heart Association, the Open Access Journal of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

22 May 2019

For civilians, finding a therapist skilled in PTSD treatments is a tough task

Lauren Walls has lived with panic attacks, nightmares and flashbacks for years. The 26-year-old San Antonio teacher sought help from a variety of mental health professionals — including spending five years and at least $20,000 with one therapist who used a Christian-faith-based approach, viewing her condition as part of a spiritual weakness that could be conquered — but her symptoms worsened. She hit a breaking point two years ago, when she contemplated suicide.

22 May 2019

Neonatal exposure to nicotine alters neurons, predisposes brain to addiction in adulthood

Neonatal exposure to nicotine alters the reward circuity in the brains of newborn mice, increasing their preference for the drug in later adulthood, report researchers at University of California San Diego School of Medicine in a study published "in press" April 24, 2019 in Biological Psychiatry.

22 May 2019

Blood proteins may be useful for predicting risk of developing heart failure

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of pain, suffering and death in the United States, and despite tremendous advances in knowledge on prevention, treatment of risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure and obesity is not optimal.

21 May 2019

Integrated stepped alcohol treatment reduces alcohol use in people with HIV

People with HIV who drink too much were more likely to reduce drinking after undergoing an approach to care known as integrated stepped alcohol treatment, according to a Yale-led study.

20 May 2019

Study finds extremely low use of weight loss medicines by veterans

Despite the availability of new weight management medications and several clinical guidelines recommending their use as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for obesity, a new study has found that their use is extremely low (about one percent) among eligible Veterans.

15 May 2019

Study: People with combat-related mTBI have high levels of abnormally fast brain waves

A new study funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Navy finds that veterans and service members with a history of combat-related mild traumatic brain injury--compared with those in a control group--have much higher levels of abnormally fast brain waves in a region that plays a key role in consciousness.

10 May 2019

Optimism, wisdom and loneliness associated with physical, mental functioning of older persons

Ten thousand Baby Boomers turn 65 every day. By 2029, the entire generation born between 1946 and 1964 will be at least that old. What happens next concerns millions of Americans.

8 May 2019

Researchers develop fast diagnostic tool that shows MS patients in relapse

Dr. Horea Rus is an expert in diagnosing and treating patients with multiple sclerosis, and his research laboratory at the University of Maryland is producing new tools for treating the disease that attacks the central nervous system.

8 May 2019

Skin-related stem cells could be used to regenerate vital part of the nervous system

Neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis affect millions of people worldwide and occur when parts of the nervous system lose function over time.

7 May 2019

Study identifies how brain abnormalities associated with alcoholism differ for men and women

Compared to alcoholic women, alcoholic men have more diminished brain activity in areas responsible for emotional processing (limbic regions including the amygdala and hippocampus), as well as memory and social processing (cortical regions including the superior frontal and supramarginal regions) among other functions.

30 Apr 2019

Newsom: California leads on prescription drugs

California regularly portrays itself as a national trendsetter on political issues, and Gov. Gavin Newsom is claiming that title on prescription drugs.

27 Apr 2019

Older kidney disease patients starting dialysis die at higher rates than previously thought

Older adults with end-stage kidney disease who start dialysis--a treatment that keeps their blood free of toxins--appear to die at higher rates than previously thought, according to findings of a new study by researchers at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, among other institutions.

23 Apr 2019

Microglia play vital role in regulating neuroinflammation, research shows

A research team at Massachusetts Eye and Ear has shown that microglia, the primary immune cells of the central nervous system--including the retina of the eye--serve as "gatekeepers," or biosensors and facilitators, of neuroinflammation in a preclinical model of autoimmune uveitis.

23 Apr 2019

Study identifies how enterococci bacteria cause antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections

A new study led by a research team from Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School describes how bacteria adapted to the modern hospital environment and repeatedly cause antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections.

17 Apr 2019

Outpatient healthcare providers inappropriately prescribe antibiotics to 40% of patients

Outpatient healthcare providers inappropriately prescribed antibiotics to 40 percent of patients in a major Veterans Affairs healthcare system, a higher figure than in previous studies examining outpatient antibiotic use, according to a new study appearing in the American Journal of Infection Control, the journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology published by Elsevier.

17 Apr 2019

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Study links heartburn drugs to fatal cases of heart, kidney disease and gastrointestinal cancer

Endovascular aneurysm procedure shown to perform as well as open surgery

Researchers find link between high LDL cholesterol levels and early-onset Alzheimer's

Five new genetic risk loci associated with maximum habitual alcohol use identified

Veterans with mental health conditions more likely to use cardiac rehabilitation services

For civilians, finding a therapist skilled in PTSD treatments is a tough task

Neonatal exposure to nicotine alters neurons, predisposes brain to addiction in adulthood

Blood proteins may be useful for predicting risk of developing heart failure

Integrated stepped alcohol treatment reduces alcohol use in people with HIV

Study finds extremely low use of weight loss medicines by veterans

Study: People with combat-related mTBI have high levels of abnormally fast brain waves

Optimism, wisdom and loneliness associated with physical, mental functioning of older persons

Researchers develop fast diagnostic tool that shows MS patients in relapse

Skin-related stem cells could be used to regenerate vital part of the nervous system

Study identifies how brain abnormalities associated with alcoholism differ for men and women

Newsom: California leads on prescription drugs

Older kidney disease patients starting dialysis die at higher rates than previously thought

Microglia play vital role in regulating neuroinflammation, research shows

Study identifies how enterococci bacteria cause antibiotic-resistant bloodstream infections

Outpatient healthcare providers inappropriately prescribe antibiotics to 40% of patients

How can microdialysis benefit drug development

Global and Local Efforts to Take Action Against Hepatitis

Addressing Important Cardiac Biology Questions with Shotgun Top-Down Proteomics

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