Veterans Affairs News and Research

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In-hospital program improves community mobility, posthospitalization function in older adults

Decreased mobility during hospitalization for older adults is associated with increased risk of death, nursing home admission and functional decline. University of Alabama at Birmingham investigators found that patients who participated in a mobility program were less likely to experience a decline in mobility when compared to the usual care provided during hospilization.

16 Jun 2016

Unsafe antiplatelet use persists in PCI patients

Contraindicated antiplatelet use is rare but persists in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, show US study data.

8 Jun 2016

Duke scientists discover new small-molecule drugs to treat chronic pain

A research team at Duke University has discovered a potential new class of small-molecule drugs that simultaneously block two sought-after targets in the treatment of pain.

1 Jun 2016

Implanted neuroprosthesis for multi-joint control can improve mobility among stroke survivors

A surgically implanted neuroprosthesis—programmed to stimulate coordinated activity of hip, knee, and ankle muscles—has led to substantial improvement in walking speed and distance in a patient with limited mobility after a stroke, according to a single-patient study in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the official journal of the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

1 Jun 2016

Reducing use of opioid medications possible, but challenging

A team of researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System recently surveyed patients to understand barriers to reducing the use of opioids to manage chronic pain. The results of those interviews are published in the current issue of the journal Pain Medicine.

28 May 2016

NR supplements can reduce diabetes-related complications in mice

A naturally occurring vitamin, nicotinamide riboside (NR), can lower blood sugar levels, reduce fatty liver, and prevent peripheral nerve damage in mouse models of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D), according to a new study by researchers at the University of Iowa and the Iowa City VA Health Care System.

27 May 2016

Advanced cancer patients lack palliative, hospice care

Medical societies, including the American Society of Clinical Oncology, recommend that patients with advanced cancer receive palliative care soon after diagnosis and receive hospice care for at least the last three days of their life. Yet major gaps persist between these recommendations and real-life practice, a new study shows.

27 May 2016

ANK3 and other genes may play key role in affecting mood, stress and longevity

The visible impacts of depression and stress that can be seen in a person's face -- and contribute to shorter lives -- can also be found in alterations in genetic activity, according to newly published research.

24 May 2016

Existing MCI screening tools result in more than 7% false-negative error rate, study finds

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a slight but noticeable and measurable decline in cognitive abilities, such as remembering names or a list of items. While changes may not be severe enough to disrupt daily life, a clinical diagnosis of MCI indicates an increased risk of eventually developing Alzheimer's disease or another type of dementia.

24 May 2016

Researchers find genetic mutations linked to increased risk factor for PTSD

In the largest study of DNA samples from service members with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), researchers have identified genetic mutations that may be associated with an increased risk factor for PTSD.

24 May 2016

Intensive blood pressure lowering therapies can cut heart disease risk in older adults

Intensive therapies to reduce high blood pressure can cut the risk of heart disease in older adults without increasing the risk for falls, according to doctors at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

21 May 2016

Inflammatory response prompted by secretion of cytokines causes acid reflux damage in GERD patients

The "acid" in "acid reflux" may not be the direct cause of damage to the esophagus as previously suspected, according to researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Dallas VA Medical Center.

18 May 2016

Study shows non-Hispanic blacks less likely to receive treatment for schizophrenia

Non-Hispanic blacks are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, but they're significantly less likely to receive medication for treatment, according to researchers.

18 May 2016

Researchers use high-power prisms to design new eyeglasses to expand visual fields of hemianopia patients

Researchers from the Schepens Eye Research Institute of Massachusetts Eye and Ear and Harvard Medical School have designed three new eyeglasses using high-power prisms to optimally expand the visual fields of patients with hemianopia, a condition in which the visual fields of both eyes are cut by half.

18 May 2016

Rural hospitals may work well for straightforward surgeries in relatively healthy patients

They may be in small towns. They may only have a couple of surgeons. But for common operations, they may be safer and less expensive than their larger cousins, a new study finds.

18 May 2016

Early infection screening programs may lead to lower rates of HIV transmission

Detecting HIV earlier, through screening programs that can identify the virus shortly after infection, may lead to lower rates of HIV transmission in local epidemics, suggest findings from a new study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and available online.

12 May 2016

Two statistically significant genetic variants may be linked to increased PTSD risk in veterans

In a massive analysis of DNA samples from more than 13,000 U.S. soldiers, scientists have identified two statistically significant genetic variants that may be associated with an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an often serious mental illness linked to earlier exposure to a traumatic event, such as combat and an act of violence.

12 May 2016

Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT scans more effective than current imaging standard for detecting NETS

A recent study reported in the May issue of the Journal of Nuclear Medicine demonstrates that Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT scans are superior to In-111 pentetreotide scans, the current imaging standard in the United States for detecting neuroendocrine tumors, and could significantly impact treatment management.

10 May 2016

Researchers explore changes in Parkinson's-affected cells at different stages of the disease

It's an unsettling thought: You could be walking around for 20 years developing Parkinson's disease and not even know it.

29 Apr 2016

Study links age-related changes in human pancreas to diabetes development

A Stanford-led national collaboration to procure and analyze human pancreatic tissue from deceased donors illustrates how the organ's function changes as we age, and could point the way toward new diabetes treatments.

29 Apr 2016

Veterans Affairs News and Research

In-hospital program improves community mobility, posthospitalization function in older adults

Unsafe antiplatelet use persists in PCI patients

Duke scientists discover new small-molecule drugs to treat chronic pain

Implanted neuroprosthesis for multi-joint control can improve mobility among stroke survivors

Reducing use of opioid medications possible, but challenging

NR supplements can reduce diabetes-related complications in mice

Advanced cancer patients lack palliative, hospice care

ANK3 and other genes may play key role in affecting mood, stress and longevity

Existing MCI screening tools result in more than 7% false-negative error rate, study finds

Researchers find genetic mutations linked to increased risk factor for PTSD

Intensive blood pressure lowering therapies can cut heart disease risk in older adults

Inflammatory response prompted by secretion of cytokines causes acid reflux damage in GERD patients

Study shows non-Hispanic blacks less likely to receive treatment for schizophrenia

Researchers use high-power prisms to design new eyeglasses to expand visual fields of hemianopia patients

Rural hospitals may work well for straightforward surgeries in relatively healthy patients

Early infection screening programs may lead to lower rates of HIV transmission

Two statistically significant genetic variants may be linked to increased PTSD risk in veterans

Ga-68 DOTATATE PET/CT scans more effective than current imaging standard for detecting NETS

Researchers explore changes in Parkinson's-affected cells at different stages of the disease

Study links age-related changes in human pancreas to diabetes development

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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