Office of Research & Development

Probing probiotics as potential PTSD, TBI treatment

Military Times covered work underway at the VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research and Education Clinical Center to learn whether restoring friendly bacteria in the gut might counter symptoms of PTSD and traumatic brain injury. (02/01/2017)

How aggressively should blood pressure be treated?

CNN covered a study by a Portland (Oregon) VA team that looked at the benefits and harms of intensive blood pressure treatment in older adults. The researchers analyzed data from 24 past studies. (01/18/2017)

Frailty screening boosts surgery outcomes

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette covered a study by a VA Pittsburgh team that found that screening older patients for frailty before their surgeries significantly increased post-surgery survival rates. The study was published in JAMA Surgery. (01/06/2017)

Study tracks melanoma rates

The Associated Press reported on a VA study in JAMA Dermatology that tracked trends in melanoma—the most serious skin cancer—region by region in the U.S. between 2003 and 2013. New England was the only region to show an overall drop in both death and incidence rates. The authors believe strong public-awareness programs in the area may have driven the trend. (12/29/2016)

VA researcher cited in NYT piece on weed killer

Dr. Samuel Goldman, a researcher with the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center at the San Francisco VA Health Care System, was quoted in a Dec. 21, 2016, New York Times article on possible links between Parkinson's disease and the herbicide paraquat, which is used widely in the United States. Goldman said there is "overwhelming data" tying the weed killer to the disease. (12/22/2016)

PTSD exposure therapy via videoconference

Fox News and other media outlets ran a Reuters piece on a VA study involving 132 Veterans with PTSD. The study was led by a team at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, South Carolina. It found that prolonged exposure therapy—one of the two main evidence-based psychotherapies VA recommends for PTSD—could be delivered just as effectively by videoconferencing as in person. This could enable Veterans to benefit from the treatment at home without having to travel to a VA site. (12/14/2016)

New sensor to gauge blood's clotting ability

A portable sensor developed by researchers with VA's APT Center and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland can assess the clotting ability of a person's blood 95 times faster than current methods, using only a single drop of blood. The ClotChip measures how blood affects an electric field—a reflection of clotting ability. Emergency medical teams could potentially use it to quickly tell whether someone is on blood thinner medication. (12/08/2016)

Study finds drop in dementia rates

The New York Times and other media outlets covered a study by VA authors and colleagues that showed a drop in dementia rates in the U.S. between 2000 and 2012. The researchers aren't sure of the reason, but they cite several possible factors, including better education—which could boost brain health in many ways over a lifetime—and better management of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure. (11/22/2016)

Residual effects of problem drinking

CBS News covered a study by VA researchers in Palo Alto and Richmond that involved more than 600 Vietnam-era Veterans. It found that problem drinking during five years or more in young adulthood appears to increase the risk of health problems later in life, even after decades of remission. The study was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. (11/10/2016)

Restoring touch to amputees

Researchers with VA and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland have been learning how to restore a sense of natural touch to Veterans and others who use artificial hands. Watch this CWRU video to learn more. (11/04/2016)

PBS' Military Medicine special features VA-Pitt lab

"Military Medicine: Beyond the Battlefield," to air on PBS Nov. 9, has a segment on work at the Human Engineering Research Laboratories, a joint endeavor of VA and the University of Pittsburgh. One HERL project, the Mobility Enhancement Robotic Wheelchair, was covered in VA Research Currents earlier this year. (10/31/2016)

VA's APT Center shines in first Cyborg Olympics

Paralyzed by a spinal cord injury and powered by contractions of his own muscles activated by surgically implanted neural stimulators developed by VA and Case Western Reserve University researchers, Mark Muhn pedaled his way to a gold medal at the first ever Cyborg Olympics, in Sweden. Read more on the website of VA's Advanced Platform Technology Center. (10/14/2016)

Teasing out the links between TBI and PTSD

The work of VA-UCSD researcher Dr. Mingxiong Huang, seen above with colleague Dr. Roland Lee, was highlighted in a recent National Public Radio piece titled "War Studies Suggest a Concussion Leaves the Brain Vulnerable to PTSD." The story also featured VA-UCSD researcher Dr. Dewleen Baker. (09/28/2016)

Study finds 'notable gains' in VA surgery outcomes

Reuters reported on a VA-Baylor College of Medicine study that found significant improvements between 1999 and 2014 in surgical outcomes for VA patients. The gains are attributed to the VA Surgical Quality Improvement Program, which has served as a model for private systems. (09/22/2016)

Long-lasting benefits from weight-loss surgery

CBS News and other media outlets covered a study by VA and Duke University researchers that found that VA patients who had bariatric surgery lost more weight than similar patients who did not have surgery, and they tended to keep off most of the weight after 10 years. (09/07/2016)

Federal partnership to boost cancer therapy

The website HealthITAnalytics.com covered a new partnership among VA, the Department of Defense, and the National Cancer Institute that will allow for routine screening of certain tumors for gene and protein information in order to provide targeted, individualized therapies. The program, called APOLLO, is part of the larger national Cancer Moonshot Initiative. (08/30/2016)

VA infection-control program highlighted in National Geographic

National Geographic covered a study that showed broad gains from a VA program started in 2007 to fight methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), a dangerous hospital-acquired infection. The study showed that the initiative reduced the rates of other infections, too, because it led to wide-reaching improvements in infection control. (08/23/2016)

Exploring art therapy for PTSD

The American Art Therapy Association and Family Practice News wrote about a small clinical trial at the Hampton (Va.) VA Medical Center, reportedly the first within VA to examine the benefits of art therapy for patients with PTSD. (07/27/2016)

Study confirms benefits of Mediterranean diet

Researchers at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System reviewed and analyzed existing data on the popular Mediterranean diet, which is rich in healthy fats, and confirmed its heart benefits. Forbes and many other news outlets covered the study. (07/20/2016)

IBM-VA partnership for cancer care

IBM's supercomputer Watson will help VA doctors tailor cancer care. The new partnership was announced at VP Joe Biden's Cancer Moonshot summit on June 29, 2016. Read about it on CNBC, CNET, and The Washington Post. (06/29/2016)

Health IT

The work of VA's Dr. Hardeep Singh and his team at IQuESt (Center for Innovations in Quality, Effectiveness, and Safety) is heavily cited in two recent federal reports on information technology within health care, including one titled
"Goals and Priorities for Health Care Organizations to Improve Safety Using Health IT."

A greater role for pharmacists?

VA's Dr. Timothy Wilt and colleagues reviewed 63 published studies to learn whether pharmacists could play a greater role in managing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure. Read more from UPI. (05/09/2016)

Heartburn drugs linked to kidney disease

Fox News and other media outlets covered a VA study of more than 193,000 patients that found an association between the use of proton pump inhibitors—drugs such as Nexium and Prevacid, taken by millions of Americans for ulcers, heartburn, or acid reflux—and serious kidney problems. (05/05/2016)

Military sexual trauma tied to homelessness

Researchers with VA and the University of Utah found that rates of homelessness were more than doubled among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans who had screened positive for military sexual trauma. Read more in Military Times. (04/26/2016)

Moving closer to personalized treatment for chronic pain

Read in Yale News how a Yale-VA team treated two patients affected by inherited erythromelalgia—a rare pain syndrome—with a drug based on the patients' genetic mutations. The researchers say the study shows "it is possible to use genomics and molecular modeling to guide pain treatment." (04/20/2016)

Gene therapy for heart failure

A team led by VA researchers in San Diego successfully used gene transfer to boost cardiac function in patients with heart failure. The study, published in JAMA Cardiology, was covered by HealthDay and other news outlets. (04/05/2016)

Psychological effects of TBI

Read an informative, engaging MinnPost interview about traumatic brain injury and its psychological effects with Dr. Kelvin Lim, of VA, the University of Minnesota, and the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. (03/11/2016)

MVP expanding to include active-duty service members

As part of a new partnership between VA and the Department of Defense, announced Feb. 25, 2016, at the Precision Medicine Initiative Summit at the White House, active-duty service members will now be authorized to donate blood and enroll in VA's Million Veteran Program. Read more at military.com. (02/26/2016)

A safer opioid alternative?

A lab team led by Dr. James Zadina, with VA and Tulane University, has developed an alternative to morphine they say may offer equal pain reduction without the potential for addiction or other unwanted side effects. The work was covered on a local New Orleans news show. (02/08/2016)

Childhood abuse among military members

VA researcher Dr. John Blosnich was quoted in a Jan. 27, 2016, Reuters article about a new Canadian study that found high rates of childhood abuse among military members. Blosnich's team published similar findings in 2014, based on a survey of U.S. adults. He coauthored an editorial about the new Canadian results with VA's Dr. Robert Bossarte. (01/28/2016)

Study yields insight on TBI damage

A study at the Puget Sound VA and University of Washington shows that the cerebellum—a brain area important for motor control—is particularly vulnerable to repeated blast injuries. The team compared findings in mice with scans of TBI-affected Veterans. Read more in the Seattle Times. (01/15/2016)

Higher illness rates among transgender Veterans

A study that compared the VA health records of more than 5,000 transgender Veterans and some 15,000 non-transgender patients found significantly higher rates of physical and mental health conditions in the transgender group. Read more in the Huffington Post.

Pedaling a recumbent trike—with paralyzed legs

New technology from VA's Advanced Platform Technology Center and Case Western Reserve University is enabling people with paraplegia from spinal cord injuries to pedal recumbent trikes. The system uses an implanted stimulator and electrodes in the legs and hips, and tiny electrical currents. Read more and watch a video in the January 2016 issue of IEEE Spectrum. (12/28/2015)

Robotic exoskeleton, studied in VA, will be made available to Vets

Israeli technology that allows those with paraplegia (paralysis of the legs) to stand, walk, and climb stairs will now be made available to Veterans who can benefit from it. More than a dozen patients at the Bronx VA had helped test the ReWalk, which involves special shoes, leg braces, a watch-like control pad, and a backpack to carry the battery. (12/17/2015)

MVP on STAT

VA's Million Veteran Program was featured on the science-news website STAT: Reporting from the frontiers of health and medicine in a Veterans Day report.

Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT)

Results from the NIH-sponsored Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), led by Memphis VA investigator Dr. William Cushman, were published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Nov. 9 and covered in many news articles and commentaries, including a New York Times blog post by Yale cardiologist Dr. Harlan Krumholz.

New insight on how germs spread in hospitals

Reuters, Fox News, and other news outlets covered a study led by a Cleveland VA team that found that hospital workers often transfer germs when removing their gowns or gloves. (10/29/2015)

PTSD among Vietnam-era Women Veterans

The Stars and Stripes and other media outlets covered a VA study, published online Oct. 7, 2015, in JAMA Psychiatry, looking at the prevalence of PTSD in Vietnam-era women Veterans. The study was funded by VA's Cooperative Studies Program. (10/14/2015)

Smokers and lung cancer screening

On Sept. 7, New York Times health columnist Jane Brody discussed a recent VA study on smokers' thoughts and feelings after undergoing low-dose CT scans to screen for lung cancer. Rather than motivate smokers to quit, screening may actually reinforce the habit, the study found (09/17/2015)

Healthy-living advice for patients

The summer 2015 edition of Veterans' Healthy Living, published by the VA New England Healthcare System, features an interview with VA and Harvard physician-researcher Dr. J. Michael Gaziano, recently featured in the New York Times, about his healthy-living advice for patients. (09/10/2015)

Military misconduct and homelessness

A recent VA study, covered in the Los Angeles Times, Stars and Stripes, and other news outlets, found a link between military misconduct and subsequent homelessness. The finding could lead to new preventive strategies. (08/31/2015)

Sleep problems and suicide

Read all about the connection in the August 2015 edition of CoE News from VA's Center of Excellence for Suicide Prevention. (08/17/2015)

Mindfulness for PTSD

In the Aug. 4, 2015, issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, VA researchers reported the results of a study on mindful-based stress reduction for treating PTSD. Read more about the study—and meet some of the Veterans who participated—in this news story and video. (08/05/2015)

Check the July 2015 issue of Mental Health Innovations for updates on research and care from VA's specialized mental health centers. (07/21/2015)

Can the electronic medical record help prevent Veteran suicide?

VA and NIH researchers developed a predictive model that can identify Veterans at high risk of suicide based on indicators in their electronic medical records. The study appeared in the American Journal of Public Health and was covered in USA Today and other media outlets. (06/24/2015)

Harvard expert comments on VA diabetes study

Harvard Medical School diabetes expert Dr. David Nathan comments on the 10-year follow-up results from the VA Diabetes Study, published June 4, 2015, in the New England Journal of Medicine. (06/12/2015)

Partnering with VSOs

In the latest issue of FORUM, a newsletter designed to help VA clinicians and managers translate research into quality health care for Veterans, Dr. Jeff Whittle talks about partnering with Veterans Service Organizations on research. Learn more about the research he describes in this video. (06/01/2015)

Focus on women Veterans

A VA-sponsored supplement in the April 2015 issue of Medical Care contains 25 original articles about VA research on women Veterans' health. Among the areas covered are military service and deployment, mental health, reproductive health, access to care, and primary care. (03/19/2015)

Immune genes seen as possible PTSD biomarkers

A team with VA and the University of California, San Diego, reports that genes linked to immune function appear to be involved in the development of PTSD. The study involved nearly 300 Marines. The findings, which appear in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, may "lead to interventions that delay or [stop] the development of PTSD," say the researchers. Read more from United Press International.

Future diabetes treatment?

One day, people's own skin cells may be used as the basis for a therapy to treat their diabetes. That's the vision of VA and University of Iowa researcher Dr. Nick Zavazava and his team, who published a study recently in the journal PLOS One. Watch a CBC News report on the work. (02/24/2015)

Study links gambling, OCD

A team with VA, Yale, and St. Louis University has uncovered genetic links between pathological gambling and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The insight could help in developing new treatments for problem gamblers. Read about it in Yale News. (02/13/2015)

Innovative wheelchair enables paralyzed Vets to stand

Invented by a team at the Minneapolis VA, a new wheelchair model allows users to crank up the push rims to a standing position. One Veteran now using the prototype at home says it's his "first time cooking and standing in 32 years." Read a Minneapolis StarTribune article and watch a video on Facebook. (02/09/2015)

New hope for coma patients

Watch this moving CBS News report about research at Northwestern University and the Hines (Ill.) VA Medical Center that shows how coma patients respond to loved ones' voices. (01/23/2015)

When aspirin is wrongly prescribed

Time magazine and other media outlets covered a study by VA authors and colleagues on the misuse of aspirin. The study, in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, found that more than 1 in 10 U.S. patients were inappropriately prescribed aspirin to prevent heart disease. (01/14/2015)

Focus on Gulf War Veterans

In a news article in the Jan. 8, 2015, issue of the journal Nature, VA's Dr. Vic Kalasinsky joins other experts in discussing what VA is doing to address the ongoing health concerns of Gulf War Veterans. (01/08/2015)

Lowering health care costs

In the current online edition of the Harvard Business Review, Dr. Eve Kerr, director of the Center for Clinical Management Research at the Ann Arbor VA Healthcare System, writes about the Choosing Wisely initiative and its potential impact on U.S. health care costs. (12/16/2014)

Conquering chronic pain

The December 2014 issue of Scientific American features the research of Dr. Stephen Waxman, of Yale and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, in an article titled "Pain that Won't Quit." The piece tells how studies by Waxman and others have helped lay the groundwork for new pain drugs now in development. (12/10/2014)

Focus on women Veterans' health

In honor of Veterans Day 2014, the journal Women's Health Issues published a special collection of research on women Veterans' health. Topics include mental health, reproductive health, cardiovascular health, military sexual trauma, health care for women Veterans, and more. (11/24/2014)

Diabetes test strips and duplicate spending

A VA study points to potential overspending by the government on blood sugar test strips for Veterans with diabetes who use both VA health care and Medicare. Read more at Reuters Health. (11/13/2014)

Restoring the sense of touch for prosthesis users

A team at VA's Advanced Platform Technology Center and Case Western Reserve University has developed a way to restore touch perception for those who have lost an upper limb and use an artificial hand. Read more in the October 2014 issue of Science Translational Medicine and watch this Discovery Channel video! (Adobe Flash required) (10/14/2014)

VA, NIH fund new studies on nondrug pain therapies

Read about it in the Washington Post. (09/30/2014)

Everyday stress and life expectancy—what's the link?

Listen to this NPR report about new results
from the VA Normative Aging Study. (09/22/2014)

Psychological Services highlights VA and mental health care

Psychological Services' August 2014 issue highlighted several studies on VA and military mental health care. (09/19/2014)

US Medicine features robotic stroke rehabilitation

U.S. Medicine, the "Voice of Federal Medicine," recently featured VA research on robotic stroke rehab. (09/02/2014)

American Journal of Public Health features Veteran Health Topics

From cancer to homelessness, a new special issue of the American Journal of Public Health covers a range of Veteran health topics. (08/21/2014)