For Veterans with PTSD, substance abuse increases mortality risk
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been linked to an increased risk of death in those who have developed the condition. A new VA study has found that Veterans with PTSD who also have problems with drugs or alcohol abuse face an even higher risk of death, providing important information for VA and other physicians who treat patients with both issues. (10/24/2012)

When patients don't follow their doctors' advice: Researchers analyze factors underlying non-adherence
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is chronically elevated. Every time a heart beats, the heart pumps blood through the arteries to the rest of the body. Blood pressure is a measure of the force against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps blood through your body. If the pressure is too high, the heart has to work harder to pump, which can lead to organ damage and illnesses. (10/24/2012)

Study confirms that depression can shorten life
It’s long been believed people with major depression and some other serious mental illnesses tend to live shorter lives than others—and die more quickly than expected when they develop illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. (09/17/2012)

Researchers aim to promote Veterans’ use of MyHealtheVet
My HealtheVet (www.myhealth.va.gov) is VA’s personal health record. Designed for Veterans, active duty Servicemembers, and their dependents and caregivers, the online record allows users to get a better understanding of their health status and explore ways to monitor and improve their health and to connect with health care providers. (09/17/2012)

Lab studies yield mixed results on alpha-lipoic acid, a potential memory booster
Alpha-lipoic acid is a fatty acid that’s found in every body cell. The body uses this acid to convert glucose (blood sugar) into energy. Alpha-lipoic acid is also a potent antioxidant, neutralizing potentially harmful chemicals called free radicals—and the acid has been shown to increase the production of acetylcholine, a brain chemical that is a key component of memory. (09/17/2012)

Boosting education for stroke survivors and their caregivers
Stroke is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds, and every four minutes someone dies of stroke (09/14/2012)

Why do some health care workers decline flu vaccination?
Influenza (commonly known as flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. Flu can cause mild to severe illness, and can even lead to death, especially in older adults. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. (09/14/2012)

Five VA research centers receive prestigious quality-management certification
The five Data Management and Statistical Coordinating Centers of VA’s Cooperative Studies Program recently earned ISO 9001:2008 certification for quality management, an acknowledgement of exceptionally high standards in this area. Program officials said they believed this was the first time a federal clinical research program has achieved this certification at a national level. (09/14/2012)

Reexamining who's at high risk for colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer is cancer that starts in either the colon or the rectum. This form of cancer is the second most prevalent in the United States. For many people, colorectal cancer can be prevented through regular screenings. (08/30/2012)

Pharmacy researchers work toward patient-friendly drug labels
Do you understand the information on the labels of the prescription drugs you take? Many people do not. Throughout the nation, the look and content of prescription drug labels varies widely from pharmacy to pharmacy. (08/30/2012)

VA Research National Radio Media Tours
VA Research hosted a series of radio media tours in April and August of this year, which consisted of interviews with radio hosts across the country. (08/23/2012)

Extra weight: No protection against broken bones, as once thought
Most people, if given a choice, would rather be thin than fat. But some scientists have believed that obesity has at least one redeeming virtue, especially in older people: It may protect against osteoporosis and broken bones. A team of researchers from the New Mexico VA Health Care System, the University of New Mexico, and the Biomedical Institute of New Mexico set out to find out whether that hypothesis is true... (08/07/2012)

Weight-loss surgery: Does it save health-care costs in the long run?
Bariatric surgery involves surgery on the stomach, the intestines, or both to help people who are extremely obese lose weight. A new study led by VA researchers has found that the department's costs to treat surgical patients three years after bariatric surgery was similar to its costs to treat Veterans who did not have this kind of surgery... (08/07/2012)

Understanding the complex link between diabetes and cognitive health
Diabetes affects about one million Veterans within the VA health care system—nearly 20 percent of the patients the Department sees each year. The disease is also the leading cause of blindness, end-stage renal disease, and amputation for VA patients. (07/11/2012)

Study strengthens case against ACE inhibitors for certain heart patients
According to the Centers for Disease Control, coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. A new study by VA researchers and researchers with the Baylor College of Medicine, St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, and the Texas Heart Institute has called into question a therapy that's often used to treat patients with this illness: the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors in those about to undergo bypass surgery. (07/11/2012)

Sleep researchers home in on the benefits of napping
Getting a good night's sleep is important for everyone. Good sleep refreshes people, helps them perform better, and contributes significantly to health and happiness. For many Veterans, however, getting a good night's sleep is extremely difficult. (06/28/2012)

A hands-on, multimedia approach to prevent hearing loss
Hearing loss affects more than 30 million Americans. When combined with tinnitus (a ringing, buzzing, or other type of noise that originates in the head), hearing issues are the most frequently found service-connected disability among American Veterans. (06/28/2012)

Treating high blood pressure for those with diabetes: Finding the right balance
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of arteries. A person's blood pressure rises and falls throughout the day. When blood pressure remains elevated over time, it's called high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure is dangerous because it makes the heart work too hard. It increases the risk of heart disease and stroke, and can result in other conditions such as congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and blindness. (06/28/2012)

Does failing sense of smell predict Alzheimer's?
On his website (www.doctoroz.com), Mehmet Oz, MD, host of TV's "The Dr. Oz Show," suggests that the loss of smell in older people may be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease. A recently published VA study, however, indicates that this may not be the case. (06/28/2012)

A new way to combat MRSA infections
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of staph bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics called beta-lactams. According to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) these antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin, and amoxicillin. (06/04/2012)

‘Micromanager’ gene helps prevent breast cancer
New knowledge about the role of genes in health and disease promises to lead to safer, more effective treatments for an entire spectrum of diseases. VA research is at the forefront of genomic analysis efforts throughout the nation and the world. (06/04/2012)

A Talk with the Chief: VA's Top Researcher
VA's Chief Research and Development Officer Joel Kupersmith, MD, talks about this year's Research Week activities and the importance of VA Research. Kupersmith will host the 2012 VA Research Week Forum April 26 at VA Central Office. (04/20/2012)

Non-Profit Foundations: Helping to keep VA Research cutting edge
VA researchers from the Phoenix VAMC show how non-profit foundations help keep VA Research on the cutting edge. This relationship will be featured during the 2012 VA Research Week Forum April 26 at VA Central Office. (04/19/2012)

The Milwaukee POWER Project: VA Research teams up with Veteran Service Organizations to tackle hypertension
VA researchers at the Milwaukee Healthcare System are teaming up with Veteran Service Organizations to tackle hypertension. VA researchers and Veteran research participants from the Milwaukee POWER Project will be featured during the 2012 VA Research Week Forum April 26 at VA Central Office. (04/17/2012)

Million Veteran Program: A VA Research Partnership with Veterans
VA employee Susan Hall tells about her participation in VA Research's Million Veteran Program. This research, among others, will be highlighted at the 2012 VA Research Week Forum April 26 at VA Central Office in Washington. VA's 2012 Research Week is April 23-27. (04/12/2012)

VA Research helps paralyzed Veterans stand, walk
VA researchers at the Cleveland Advanced Platform Technology (APT) Center are using a hybrid of Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) and conventional bracing to allow Veterans who are paralyzed from the chest down to stand and walk. (04/09/2012)

"I was a one-sided person": THE DEKA Arm, a VA Research partnership with DoD
VA researchers join forces at the Manhattan VAMC to help a Veteran who lost his arm 40 years ago. The DEKA Arm is a joint collaboration between VA Research and the Department of Defense. (04/09/2012)

Sharing Personal Health Records
The Department of Veterans Affairs has long been a pioneer in developing and using a comprehensive system of electronic health records. VA clinicians began using computerized patient records in the mid-1990s for everything from recording examinations by doctors to displaying the results of lab tests and X-rays. (04/03/2012)

TRACTS: VA Research explores unique issues of Veterans with both TBI and PTSD
VA researchers in Boston are examining the links between mild traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder that occur conjointly in Veterans returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. (04/03/2012)

Study: VA meeting goals for colorectal cancer screening
Colorectal, or colon, cancer refers to cancer that is found in either the colon or the rectum. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), this type of cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the United States. This year, ACS estimates 101,340 new cases of colon cancer and 39,870 new cases of rectal cancer will we diagnosed. (02/27/2012)

Using the Internet to boost cardiac care
A team of researchers led by Deborah A. Levine, MD, MPH, of VA's Ann Arbor Medical Center and the University of Michigan Health System, tested whether the Internet might be a good way to educate physicians on best practices in caring for patients who had previously had heart attacks, known in medical terms as actue myocardial infarction (MI). They conducted a randomized trial involving 168 VA primary care clinics and 847 health care providers in 26 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. (02/23/2012)

Caring for the caregiver
The job of caring for severely injured, ill, or disabled Veterans on a daily basis is a demanding task. VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki has referred to these caregivers as "our partners in Veteran health care. (02/22/2012)

The ups and downs of blood pressure measurement
A recent study at the Durham VA Medical Center and Duke University confirms that people's blood pressure tends to be higher at the doctor's office than when they check it themselves at home. (02/02/2012)

Study sheds light on threat from new 'super bug'
The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) has become a major problem in many countries, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and health care costs. Infections caused by S. aureus range from mild, requiring no treatment, to severe and potentially fatal. (02/01/2012)

Promoting the health of young Veterans
Every Veteran returning from Iraq and Afghanistan can receive cost free medical care from the Department of Veterans Affairs for any condition related to their service in the theater of war for five years after the date of the discharge or release. In addition, combat Veterans may be eligible for additional VA services, including dental benefits, family support, and help in going back to school and finding a job. (01/18/2012)

ER is cost-effective setting for flu vaccinations
The appearance of cold weather throughout much of the United States is not only a sign of approaching winter, it's also a sign that influenza season is with us once again. In the United States, annual outbreaks of flu usually occur during the fall, winter, and early spring. In a typical year, 5 to 20 percent of the population gets the seasonal flu. (01/17/2012)

Study suggests natural supplement usually taken for joint pain may also stem lung cancer
Glucosamine is an amino sugar produced naturally in the body. Because it plays a key role in building cartilage (the connective tissue that cushions the joints) many older people take glucosamine supplements to reduce inflammation from osteoarthritis, a type of arthritis that occurs when cartilage breaks down or is lost. (12/12/2011)

Exploring the body language of the medical encounter
When you talk to your doctor during a health examination, what do you see-and what does your doctor see when he or she is talking to you? More importantly, how do what doctors see affect the decisions they make about their patients' health care, or the advice they give? A study recently published in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice provided insights on these questions—and offered ideas on ways medical decision-making can be improved. (12/05/2011)

VA research on delirium featured in journal supplement
Delirium—an acute change in a person's mental status that results in a decreased awareness of his or her environment and confused thinking—is a serious and under-recognized illness, especially in hospitalized older adults. There's evidence suggesting that individuals who develop delirium in the hospital are as likely to die as those with a heart attack. When they do survive, their recovery is often difficult or incomplete. (11/28/2011)

MVP gets spotlight on National Public Radio
Among the thousands of tributes to America's Veterans that were spoken, written or broadcast on Veterans Day this year, one story offered its listeners an exciting glimpse of the ways in which the health status of America's Veterans can be transformed by modern technology. National Public Radio listeners nationwide learned about VA's Million Veteran Program (MVP), a way in which Veterans continue to serve America by giving a small amount of blood to help VA research improve its ability to care for them and for those with whom they served. (11/15/2011)

In the future, doctors may be able to predict whether some people are more at risk for developing PTSD
In the future, doctors may be able to predict whether some people are more at risk than others for developing posttraumatic stress disorder, suggests a recent study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry (AJP). (11/15/2011)

State of VA Research
"VA research is a valuable investment with remarkable and lasting returns. The state of VA research today is stronger than it has ever been. I invite you to learn more about the many ways in which our researchers are improving Veterans' lives" - Joel Kupersmith, M.D. (10/11/2011)

VA Research Today
Published in commemoration of National VA Research Week 2011, this document highlights the following topics: brain imaging, homelessness, genomics, auditory effects of blasts, electronic health records, and cancer. (06/03/2011)

VA-DoD collaboration guidebook now available
Veterans Affairs and Defense researchers have produced a new 56-page guidebook to spur more collaboration between the agencies on clinical health research... (04/27/2011)

Finding a way: Researchers explore new technologies to help the blind navigate
A VA-funded group of researchers is designing a computer vision system to bridge the limitations of GPS navigation devices and offer added mobility and independence for blinded Veterans and others with vision loss... (02/09/2011)

Brain-bank study may offer clues on ALS, related conditions
Researchers with VA and the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTSE) at Boston University School of Medicine have provided the first pathological evidence of a link between repeated head injuries—such as those experienced by athletes in contact sports such as boxing, football and hockey—and a disease that resembles amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The results appear in the September Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. (09/14/2010)

VA Women's Health Services Research Conference: Building the Evidence Base To Improve Healthcare Outcomes for Veterans
VA Women veterans' research has grown in its maturity and funding base over the past decade but much more work remains to be done. A Women's Health Services Research conference was held in July bringing together VA investigators interested in pursuing research on women veterans and women in the military with leaders in women's health care delivery and policy within and outside VA. The purpose of the conference was to significantly advance the state of VA women's health research by fostering research and clinical collaborations, by disseminating new scientific research results, and by strategizing ways to accelerate research findings into interventions and ultimately into practice. (08/02/2010)

Next-generation primary care, coming to a VA clinic near you
Army Veteran Gena Van Camp has been using VA health care for 30 years. She's more satisfied nowadays than she was a few years ago, especially with her primary care.

In the past, says Van Camp, she would often be seen by a medical resident. Now, it's the same nurse practitioner every visit. To Van Camp, that means someone who knows her and her medical history, without needing to look through her VA electronic health record. (07/19/2010)

VA Research Today
To help commemorate the 85th anniversary of VA Research, VA has produced a special 68-page magazine titled VA Research Today. The magazine contains background on the program and feature articles that illustrate the spirit of discovery, innovation, and advancement that has characterized VA Research since its earliest days. For print copies or more information about the magazine, email VA Research Communications at research.publications@va.gov.

(04/19/2010)

Studies seek best ways to draw homeless veterans into primary care
Stefan Kertesz, MD, MSc, vividly recalls a patient he saw at a homeless shelter in the 1990s. The man had a mood disorder and hypertension. Clinical guidelines and performance measures called for aggressively managing the blood pressure. But Kertesz sensed that if he were to go that route during their initial meetings, it would drive the man away and stifle their budding patient-doctor relationship... (01/06/2010)

Heart bypass trial finds better outcomes with standard 'on-pump' method
The topic has been hotly debated among surgeons and cardiologists: Is it safer and more effective to do bypass surgery with or without a heart-lung pump that allows doctors to stop the heart while they operate? A clinical trial at 18 VA medical centers has found that while both methods are generally safe and effective, the more traditional on-pump method yields better outcomes after one year. The findings appear in the Nov. 5 New England Journal of Medicine. (11/12/2009)

Seeking genetic clues to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder
A new study funded by VA will probe the genetic basis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, which together affect some 170,000 patients in VA's health system.

The $33-million effort will involve up to 38,000 veterans at about 25 VA sites—one of the largest single studies of its kind to date worldwide. The study will include up to 9,000 people with schizophrenia, 9,000 with bipolar disorder, and another 20,000 without either disease, as controls. (10/13/2009)

Studies boost Alzheimer's home safety
Research offers guidance for family caregivers

Dr. Scott Trudeau, an occupational therapist and researcher at the Bedford (Mass.) VA Medical Center and Boston University, helped Ann and Donald Cameron improve the safety in their home. Donald, a Navy veteran, received a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease three years ago.

|| Don't miss the slideshow that features some of the changes the Camerons made in their home. ||

(06/23/2009)

Technology speeds hunt for disease-linked genes
Wanted: Information leading to the identification of genes that may put you at risk.

In a nutshell, that's the endgame of genomic research. Scientists are hunting for genes—or gene variants—that play a role in causing disease. New discoveries could improve screening and diagnosis or point toward more effective treatments. For instance, quieting a troublesome gene or activating a potentially helpful one may be a way to stop some cancers.

|| Don't miss the slideshow that describes what happens to DNA samples entered into a study. || (05/18/2009)

Study to track burn outcomes
"Come here, Jones, come here!"

An officer yelled to Staff Sgt. Lee Jones as Jones bolted from the burning Humvee. He started running and then dropped to the ground and rolled to try to douse the flames that engulfed his face, hands and legs. His truck had hit a roadside bomb. The three squad members in the truck with him died in the explosion. Jones, of the 82nd Airborne, was soon evacuated to a field hospital and then to Germany. But he was in a coma—the flames had eaten away the skin from nearly half his body—and doctors didn't give him long to live. (03/09/2009)

Brain-injury experts meet to shape agenda for care, research
Creating a registry of veterans who have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) and tracking long-term effects of the condition were among the priorities outlined at an international conference of TBI experts hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) on Nov. 17 - 18, 2008. (12/05/2008)

Putting Polytrauma Care 'on the Map'
In a study to be presented at a national VA meeting in December, investigators at VA's Rehabilitation Outcomes Research Center (RORC) in Gainesville, Fla., used specialized geographic software to track access to VA care for traumatically wounded veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The findings will help VA planners decide where to locate services for current and future cohorts of veterans. (10/22/2008)

Future directions in PTSD research and care
In a recent survey by the RAND Corporation of nearly 2,000 veterans of operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, half the respondents reported they had a friend who was killed or seriously wounded. Nearly half—45 percent—said they saw dead or seriously injured non-combatants. Not surprisingly, the rate of respondents who met the diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression was relatively high, at 18.5 percent. Based on these data, RAND estimates that some 300,000 veterans who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan are suffering from PTSD or major depression. (06/19/2008)

National VA Research, May 11-17, 2008
Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. James B. Peake has proclaimed the week of May 11 as National VA Research Week. During that week, VA facilities around the country will highlight 60 years of innovation and discovery.

"The VA research program is the foundation for advancements in Veterans' health care and represents the promise of a better life," said Secretary Peake.

Check this announcement for further information, including how to find out what's happening in your local area. (05/08/2008)

Understanding the effects of blasts on the brain
It's a scientific question driven by the hard realities of today's global war on terror: What happens to the brain of someone exposed to a blast?
The answer is likely to come not from the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, but from research labs thousands of miles away—such as that of biomedical engineer Pamela VandeVord, PhD, with VA and Wayne State University in Detroit. She is one of a small but growing number of researchers studying the biological effects of blasts on the brain. (04/29/2008)

Brain-computer interfaces: Has science fiction become reality?
... It was hard for even the most serious science journalists to ignore the fascination surrounding the researchers' stunning achievement. The scientists had enabled a 25-year-old man with quadriplegia to operate a computer cursor and perform other tasks solely through his thoughts. The technology, called BrainGate, uses a tiny sensor implanted in the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls movement. The sensor, about the size of Lincoln's head on a penny, has 100 hair-thin electrodes ... (01/25/2008)

Special Rehabilitation Journal Issue on Traumatic Brain Injury
The November 2007 issue of The Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development (JRRD) is a special, single-topic issue on traumatic brain injury (TBI) and polytrauma. Focused on the diagnosis and treatment of TBI, this issue examines the clinical characteristics of military personnel returning from combat and describes several healthcare models that are providing care and support to them and their families. (12/04/2007)

New bionic ankle debuts at Providence VA - Now with VIDEO
The first powered ankle-foot prosthesis, an important advance for lowerlimb amputees, was unveiled July 23 at the Providence VA Medical Center. See the new video as Garth Stewart, a 24-year-old Army veteran who lost his left leg below the knee following an injury in Iraq, demonstrated the new prosthesis. (09/04/2007)

Healing the injured brain: How can research help?
"Your skull gets pounded against your Kevlar [helmet]. Your brain gets tossed around like an egg in a bucket of water," is how Retired Army Pfc. Chris Lynch, who suffered a brain injury during training in 2000, explained his injury in a recent interview with the American Forces Press Service. Through intensive therapy, Lynch has recovered much of his ability to do everyday tasks, and now reaches out to newly brain-injured troops to offer support. (07/18/2007)

Fatty Liver Disease: A New Epidemic?
Hardly a day passes without media reports of America’s skyrocketing rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Far fewer people, though, are familiar with another disease—closely linked to the first two—that experts say is also becoming an epidemic. (06/19/2007)

Evidence-based Prosthetics is Focus of New Workshops
Robert Gailey, PhD, PT, is a physical therapist and investigator at the Miami VA Medical Center, studying the best ways to identify the functional deficits of amputees.

His research is one of the driving forces behind a new series of workshops for prosthetists and physical therapists throughout VA.

"We want to bring VA practitioners up to speed on the latest technology that soldiers are receiving in the military rehabilitation facilities," says Gailey. (04/06/2007)

Probing the Benefits of Green Tea
Is green tea really a health elixir, as many believe? And, of particular interest to many scientists: Can it fight cancer?

After studying the topic for 16 years, VA scientist Santosh Katiyar, PhD, MS, is convinced that green tea, because of its rich polyphenol content, is among the most potent tumor-inhibitors that nature provides.

In the Oct. 16 online edition of the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, Katiyar reviewed the latest biomedical findings on green tea and skin cancer... (12/22/2006)

Senate Hearing on VA Research: Investing Today to Guide Tomorrow's Treatment
(4/27/06) A new type of prosthetic hand was demonstrated today at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Chairman Larry Craig even got to use the device himself as electrodes were hooked to his upper forearm. Within a few seconds he was able to have the prosthetic hand hold a glass of water.

Craig is an advocate for more research and development by VA scientists, especially to meet the needs of those who have been injured in combat. (04/27/2006)

Research Aims to Prevent Outbreaks Due to Increasingly Resistant Hospital Germ
For decades, hospitals have contended with a potentially nasty germ called Clostridium difficile. The bacterium tends to proliferate and cause disease in hospital patients who acquire it after having been on antibiotics, which disrupt protective normal bowel flora. Infection with C. difficile is one of the most common hospital acquired infections worldwide, and in the United States alone it causes some 400,000 cases of diarrhea and colitis each year in hospital patients. (02/28/2006)

Study Finds Angioplasty More Cost-Effective than Bypass Surgery
A study involving hundreds of high-risk heart patients at 16 Veterans Affairs medical centers found that balloon angioplasty was less costly than heart bypass surgery, but just as likely to keep patients alive.

The 445 veterans in the study had severe blockages or narrowing of the arteries carrying blood to the heart. They were randomly assigned to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)—also known as angioplasty—or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. After five years of follow-up, costs were significantly lower for the angioplasty group, and the five-year survival rate was slightly better for angioplasty, although the difference in favor of angioplasty was not statistically significant.

"Angioplasty maintains a significant cost advantage with no adverse impact on survival rates, even after five years," said lead author Kevin T. Stroupe, PhD, a health economist at the Hines, Ill., VA Medical Center. (01/21/2006)

Prosthetics of future will mesh body, mind and machine

Remember the 1970s TV show “The Six Million Dollar Man”? It featured a test pilot who suffered horrific injuries in a crash and was “rebuilt” with bionic parts. This made him a superman who could lift cars and leap 40 feet in the air.

The actual science of prosthetics has a more down-to-earth goal: to restore independence and mobility to amputees and enable them to do everyday things most of us take for granted—walking, running, enjoying hobbies, using a pen or fork, holding a child. But the technology emerging in labs today—including several VA sites—is no less dramatic than that depicted in the old TV show. (10/26/2005)

US News and World Report Rates VA Hospital Care - "Top-Notch"
In the July 18, 2005 issue of US News and World Report, VA hospital care is touted as often "the best around." The article attributes this high rating to the transformation of the VA health care system over the past decade. Beginning in the l990's under the leadership of Dr. Kenneth Kizer, the Veterans Health Administration instituted a performance and accountability system that was tied directly to the quality of patient care and outcomes. (07/02/2005)

Shingles Vaccine Proves Effective in Large VA Trial
In one of the largest adult vaccine trials ever, researchers from the Department of Veterans Affairs and colleagues have shown that an experimental vaccine against shingles prevented about 51 percent of cases of shingles, a painful nerve and skin infection, and dramatically reduced its severity and complications in vaccinated persons who got shingles. The findings appear in the June 2, 2005, New England Journal of Medicine. (06/02/2005)

ALS clinical trial follows promising animal study
Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, will be recruited starting in late March for a VA-funded nationwide study testing the safety of sodium phenylbutyrate as a life-extending treatment. The drug, which has been used for years as a cancer therapy, significantly extended the lives of ALS mice in a recent study. (03/21/2005)

VA continues to play key role in PTSD research
Recent reports indicate that as many as 10 to 20 percent of service personnel deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan may be diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), presenting future healthcare challenges for VA. Until relatively recently, a diagnosis of PTSD was rarely made and generally only applied to veterans. (02/28/2005)

VA patients receive better care than non-VA patients
VA patients are significantly more likely than similar patients in the general population to receive recommended preventive and chronic care, according to a study released in the Annals of Internal Medicine. (12/21/2004)

Study Urges Better Blood-Pressure Control in Seniors
A review study led by Sarwat I. Chaudhry, MD, a fellow at the West Haven VAMC, backs recent recommendations from a national committee that urged doctors to be more proactive in treating systolic hypertension in older adults. (09/14/2004)

Aging
Americans are living longer because of better heath care prevention and innovative medical technologies and new medications. By 2030, the number of older Americans (60 years and older) will have more than doubled to 70 million – one in every five. (09/01/2004)

New Limb-Loss Center to Incorporate Robotics, Tissue Engineering
...the new "Center for Rebuilding, Regenerating and Restoring Function After Limb Loss" will provide patient care and conduct research in tissue engineering, neurotechnology, materials science, robotics, and advanced surgical techniques. VA expects the center to significantly improve outcomes for recent combat-injured veterans and other VA patients who have lost limbs. (08/15/2004)

Skin Cancer
Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers, with more than one million cases diagnosed every year. Most diagnosed skin cancers are related to sun exposure. (08/01/2004)

Military Deployment and Coming Home
More than 250,000 U.S. troops have been deployed to the Gulf region. Some will return wounded, and some will return sick. As Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Anthony Principi stated, "We have to make sure that our system is capable of providing care for them. We have learned that every battlefield poses unique dangers. (07/01/2004)

Men's Health
In general, men have less awareness about their overall health, and there are poorer and fewer health education and health programs that focus on men than women. This is important because in the 1920s life expectancy for men and women was about the same, but over the years this has changed – men’s life expectancy is now more than 10% lower than that of women. (06/01/2004)

Hepatitis C
The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the leading cause of liver disease in the United States and is a common cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (cancer of the liver). HCV also is the primary reason for liver transplants in the United States. (05/01/2004)