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Blast exposure may cause brain damage even without symptoms of TBI

Veterans exposed to explosions who do not report symptoms of traumatic brain injury (TBI) may still have damage to the brain's white matter comparable to veterans with TBI, according to researchers at Duke Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

4 Mar 2014

Study shows older moderate drinkers who binge drink may have greater mortality

Numerous studies have highlighted the purported association between moderate drinking and reduced mortality. However, these analyses have focused overwhelmingly on average consumption, a measure that masks diverse, underlying drinking patterns such as weekend heavy episodic or binge drinking.

4 Mar 2014

Study findings support the hypothesis of cognitive reserve in traumatic brain injury

Kessler Foundation researchers have found that higher educational attainment (a proxy of intellectual enrichment) attenuates the negative impact of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on cognitive status.

4 Mar 2014

Study of Gulf War veterans finds link between poor sleep quality and reduced gray matter

A new study of Gulf War veterans found an association between poor sleep quality and reduced gray matter volume in the brain's frontal lobe, which helps control important processes such as working memory and executive function.

3 Mar 2014

Depression and self-awareness affect subjective reports of memory and satisfaction with life

Kessler Foundation researchers have found that among individuals with TBI, depression and self-awareness affect subjective reports of memory, quality of life (QOL), and satisfaction with life.

26 Feb 2014

Discrimination against transgender people need to be addressed by medical establishment

Discrimination against transgender people -as many as one million Americans identify themselves as transgender - should immediately be addressed by the medical establishment, backed by policy change at the national level to provide equal access to quality health care.

19 Feb 2014

Medicaid policies create roadblocks for low-income women to obtain "tubes tying" procedure

Tubal ligation - commonly referred to as having one's "tubes tied" - is widely used to prevent unintended pregnancies. However, current Medicaid policies create roadblocks for low-income women trying to obtain the procedure, according to a review written by researchers at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and other U.S. institutions.

19 Feb 2014

Research findings have important implications for personalized treatment of alcohol abuse

Heavy drinking is common in the United States and takes a personal and societal toll, with an annual estimated cost of $223.5 billion due to losses in workplace productivity, health care and criminal justice expenses.

16 Feb 2014

Research roundup: Examining readmissions; easing doctor burnout

Despite massive early IT problems, exchange enrollment is accelerating rapidly. While enrollment may not reach 7 million by the end of March, we expect at least 5 million to have enrolled by the close of the initial open-enrollment period. If enrollment falls far short, HHS could extend open enrollment for a fixed period to reach its 7 million target. ... We project that 5 million new beneficiaries will be covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program by the end of 2014. Medicaid managed-care enrollment of non-dual beneficiaries will increase by 20 percent from 2013 to 2014 and by 38 percent from 2013 to 2016. We expect that 75 percent of non-dual Medicaid beneficiaries will be covered by Managed Care Organizations starting in 2015, up from 63 percent in 2012 (Feb. 2014).

14 Feb 2014

Study shows how Bcl-2 cancer-related protein signals cancer cells to live longer

A team of researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine has discovered how the cancer-related protein Bcl-2 signals cancer cells to live longer.

14 Feb 2014

Topiramate reduces drinking in patients committed to abstinence from alcohol

Heavy drinking alcohol consumption is common in the United States and takes a personal and societal toll, with an annual estimated cost of $223.5 billion due to losses in workplace productivity, and health care and criminal justice expenses.

14 Feb 2014

Cocaine increases ischemic stroke risk in young adults within 24 hours of use

Cocaine greatly increases ischemic stroke risk in young adults within 24 hours of use, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2014.

12 Feb 2014

Study: Gays and lesbians face several health disparities relative to heterosexual peers

Gay, lesbian and bisexual people face several health disparities relative to their heterosexual peers, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

12 Feb 2014

New bill would expand health law subsidies for those in high-cost areas

The bill would tie subsidy levels to cost of living around the nation instead of to the national federal poverty level. In the meantime, a lawmaker from Colorado introduces a bill to speed construction of VA hospitals.

9 Feb 2014

Study shows how pesticides may contribute to development of Parkinson's disease

New research shows how pesticides may increase the risk of Parkinson's disease and that people with certain gene variants may be more susceptible to the disease. The research is published in the February 4, 2014, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

4 Feb 2014

Retrieval practice can improve memory in individuals with severe TBI

Kessler Foundation researchers have shown that retrieval practice can improve memory in individuals with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). "Retrieval Practice Improves Memory in Survivors of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury," was published as a brief report in the current issue of Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Volume 95, Issue 2 (390-396) February 2014.

31 Jan 2014

Veterans with exposure to Agent Orange may be at higher risk for skin cancer

Vietnam War veterans with prior exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange may be at higher risk for certain types of skin cancer, suggests a report in the February issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery-, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

29 Jan 2014

CWRU researchers receive NIAID grant to conduct HIV research and clinical trials

AIDS researchers from Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals Case Medical Center have received a seven-year funding award from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

23 Jan 2014

Home-based hospice practices for hospitalized patients could improve end-of-life care

A study by researchers at the Birmingham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the University of Alabama at Birmingham says using home-based hospice practices for terminally ill, hospitalized patients could reduce suffering and improve end-of-life care.

23 Jan 2014

Basic hospice strategies can make last days of dying inpatients more comfortable and dignified

There is much value in training hospital and nursing home staff in the basics of palliative care to make the last days of a dying patient's life as comfortable and dignified as possible.

22 Jan 2014

Veterans Affairs News and Research

Blast exposure may cause brain damage even without symptoms of TBI

Study shows older moderate drinkers who binge drink may have greater mortality

Study findings support the hypothesis of cognitive reserve in traumatic brain injury

Study of Gulf War veterans finds link between poor sleep quality and reduced gray matter

Depression and self-awareness affect subjective reports of memory and satisfaction with life

Discrimination against transgender people need to be addressed by medical establishment

Medicaid policies create roadblocks for low-income women to obtain "tubes tying" procedure

Research findings have important implications for personalized treatment of alcohol abuse

Research roundup: Examining readmissions; easing doctor burnout

Study shows how Bcl-2 cancer-related protein signals cancer cells to live longer

Topiramate reduces drinking in patients committed to abstinence from alcohol

Cocaine increases ischemic stroke risk in young adults within 24 hours of use

Study: Gays and lesbians face several health disparities relative to heterosexual peers

New bill would expand health law subsidies for those in high-cost areas

Study shows how pesticides may contribute to development of Parkinson's disease

Retrieval practice can improve memory in individuals with severe TBI

Veterans with exposure to Agent Orange may be at higher risk for skin cancer

CWRU researchers receive NIAID grant to conduct HIV research and clinical trials

Home-based hospice practices for hospitalized patients could improve end-of-life care

Basic hospice strategies can make last days of dying inpatients more comfortable and dignified

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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