Veterans Affairs News and Research

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BUSM researchers develop screening tool to detect intimate partner violence in females

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers have identified a promising screening tool to detect intimate partner violence (IPV) in females in the VA Boston Healthcare System.

9 Oct 2013

Study: Distinct behavior of proteins reflects common biochemical principles

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have found unexpected similarities between proteins that were thought to be fundamentally different.

9 Oct 2013

Study casts light on how health care providers respond to physical violence among female veterans

A new study, published in Springer's Journal of Family Violence, casts light on how health care providers respond to the emotional, sexual and physical violence that female veterans sometimes experience at the hands of their intimate partners.

8 Oct 2013

Blocking pathway might prevent esophageal cancer in patients with existing Barrett's esophagus

Got heartburn? More than 60 million adults in the U.S. have acid reflux, or heartburn, and approximately 10 percent are at risk for developing esophageal cancer, due in part to complications from Barrett's esophagus.

8 Oct 2013

Noncardiac surgery after recent coronary stent linked with increased risk of adverse cardiac events

Emergency surgery and advanced cardiac disease are risk factors for major adverse cardiac events (MACE) after noncardiac surgery in patients with recent coronary stent implantation, according to a study published by JAMA.

8 Oct 2013

Use of gloves, gowns by health care workers for ICU patient contact does not reduce MRSA infection

The wearing of gloves and gowns by health care workers for all intensive care unit (ICU) patient contact did not reduce the rate of acquisition of a combination of the bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), although there was a lower risk of MRSA acquisition alone, according to a study published online by JAMA.

7 Oct 2013

Kessler Foundation and VA New Jersey collaborate to study cognitive fatigue in Gulf War veterans

A major grant totaling $761,222 from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Clinical Science Research and Development, involves a collaboration between Kessler Foundation and the VA New Jersey Health Care System. Glenn Wylie, DPhil is principal investigator for the study, "Examination of Cognitive Fatigue in Gulf War Illness using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging."

4 Oct 2013

Opinions on shutdown: Opening marketplaces makes this impasse different; don't repeal medical device tax; Democrats are 'intransigents'

It's different because the new health-care system got up and running on the very day the shutdown began. Conceding to the GOP would take health insurance away from people and ruin a program for which we now know there is a public appetite. It's not going to happen (E.J. Dionne Jr., 10/2).

4 Oct 2013

Study shows direct causative link between obesity and risk of pancreatic cancer in mice

Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC) have found that mice made obese by being given high-calorie, high-fat diets (HFCD) developed abnormally high numbers of lesions known as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasias (PanINs), which are known to be precursors to pancreas cancer.

1 Oct 2013

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Dementia is a leading cause of death in the United States; however, patients dying with this disease may not receive optimal end-of-life care. ... many of these [nursing home] residents commonly experience burdensome and costly interventions, such as hospital transfers, tube-feeding, and intravenous antibiotics. ... Nursing home reimbursement policies are among the factors that incentivize more aggressive care. ... This study linked unique prospective clinical data with Medicare claims to describe and compare patterns of care between nursing home residents with advanced dementia enrolled in a Medicare managed-care insurance plan and those with fee-for-service Medicare.

30 Sep 2013

Department of Defense backs tissue-engineering research for soldiers, civilians

A $75 million Department of Defense grant to improve technologies to treat soldiers injured on the battlefield and advance care for the public will involve bioengineers at Rice University and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

30 Sep 2013

Doing yoga during menopause linked to less insomnia

Taking a 12-week yoga class and practicing at home was linked to less insomnia-but not to fewer or less bothersome hot flashes or night sweats. The link between yoga and better sleep was the only statistically significant finding in this MsFLASH (Menopause Strategies: Finding Lasting Answers for Symptoms and Health) Network randomized controlled trial.

29 Sep 2013

Disabled Veterans National Foundation offers support to VA's PCCC initiative

The Disabled Veterans National Foundation, a non-profit veterans service organization that focuses on helping men and women who serve and return home wounded or sick after defending our safety and our freedom, is offering its support to the Department of Veterans Affairs' new initiative to expand healthcare services to veterans.

27 Sep 2013

Older adults with poor kidney function have increased risk for adverse outcomes

Recent studies have shown that older adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD; defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate [GFR; a measure of kidney function] of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2) have a high prevalence of concurrent complications and increased risk for adverse outcomes including mortality, cardiovascular disease, and kidney failure.

25 Sep 2013

Researchers develop first imaging tool to examine myelin damage in MS

Researchers have made an exciting breakthrough - developing a first-of-its-kind imaging tool to examine myelin damage in multiple sclerosis (MS). An extremely difficult disease to diagnose, the tool will help physicians diagnose patients earlier, monitor the disease's progression, and evaluate therapy efficacy.

24 Sep 2013

Experts discuss ways to improve preoperative surgical site cleaning to minimize risk of infection

Infection is the most common complication of surgery and occurs at a rate of 1-15%. A group of experts from the Surgical Infection Society recently convened to discuss how to optimize the preoperative surgical site cleaning done by the patient to minimize the risk of infection.

20 Sep 2013

New blood test accurately differentiates viral and bacterial infections

A blood test developed by researchers at Duke Medicine showed more than 90-percent accuracy in distinguishing between viral and bacterial infections when tested in people with respiratory illnesses.

19 Sep 2013

Patients with pre-existing dementia may experience delirium when hospitalized

More than half of all patients with pre-existing dementia will experience delirium while hospitalized. Failing to detect and treat their delirium early leads to a faster decline of both their physical and mental health, according to health researchers.

17 Sep 2013

Financial incentives only partial solution for hypertension control

Providing financial incentives to general practitioners goes some way toward improving hypertension control in their patients, shows research published in JAMA.

16 Sep 2013

New technique provides better understanding of factors causing Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

The first proteomic analysis of an animal model of a rare, sometimes deadly birth defect, Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome (SLOS), has revealed that the molecular mechanisms that cause it are more complex than previously understood.

12 Sep 2013

Veterans Affairs News and Research

BUSM researchers develop screening tool to detect intimate partner violence in females

Study: Distinct behavior of proteins reflects common biochemical principles

Study casts light on how health care providers respond to physical violence among female veterans

Blocking pathway might prevent esophageal cancer in patients with existing Barrett's esophagus

Noncardiac surgery after recent coronary stent linked with increased risk of adverse cardiac events

Use of gloves, gowns by health care workers for ICU patient contact does not reduce MRSA infection

Kessler Foundation and VA New Jersey collaborate to study cognitive fatigue in Gulf War veterans

Opinions on shutdown: Opening marketplaces makes this impasse different; don't repeal medical device tax; Democrats are 'intransigents'

Study shows direct causative link between obesity and risk of pancreatic cancer in mice

Research roundup: Managed care for dementia patients; bundled payments after the hospital; disparities among Medicare beneficiaries

Department of Defense backs tissue-engineering research for soldiers, civilians

Doing yoga during menopause linked to less insomnia

Disabled Veterans National Foundation offers support to VA's PCCC initiative

Older adults with poor kidney function have increased risk for adverse outcomes

Researchers develop first imaging tool to examine myelin damage in MS

Experts discuss ways to improve preoperative surgical site cleaning to minimize risk of infection

New blood test accurately differentiates viral and bacterial infections

Patients with pre-existing dementia may experience delirium when hospitalized

Financial incentives only partial solution for hypertension control

New technique provides better understanding of factors causing Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

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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