In This Issue: The Golden Veteran
From the
Chief Research and Development Officer
Today more than half of the patients in VA medical centers are older than age 60. The work VA researchers are doing nationwide demonstrates a strong commitment to optimizing the health, well-being, and independence of these "golden Veterans."
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New Initiatives
A trial to study the safety and efficacy of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) to prevent sudden cardiac death in patients 70 years old and older has been approved by VA's Cooperative Studies Program and will soon begin to recruit participants.
Up to 1,000 Vietnam Veterans nationwide are expected to take part in a study, sponsored by the Department of Defense and led by a VA investigator, examining the impact of TBI or PTSD on the risk of Alzheimer's disease as Veterans age.
An ongoing study at the Eastern Colorado VA Medical Center is exploring the causes of inflammation in vascular tissue, with a special focus on the role of high concentrations of insulin.
A Chat with Our Experts
VARQU spoke with Drs. Susan Cooley and Kenneth Shay of VA's Office of Geriatrics and Extended Care about the role VA research plays in helping care for older Veterans.
Noteworthy Publications
Researchers at the San Francisco VA looked at the records of 34,290 Veterans who died between 2010 and 2011 and divided them into two groups: those showing family discussions with the health care team in the last month of the Veteran's life, and those with no such indications.
Structured automated calls are a feasible way to increase informal support for heart failure patients' self-care management
VA's Center for Clinical Management Research led a study on an innovative approach to enhancing support from informal "care partners" for Veterans coping with heart failure.
Spreading best practices for end-of-life care
Researchers led by a team at the Birmingham, Ala., VA Medical Center created the "Best Practices for End-of-Life Care for Our Nations Veterans" (BEACON) trial to test a strategy aimed at improving end-of-life care at VA medical centers.
Azithromycin-based treatment for older patients hospitalized with pneumonia is linked to lower 90-day mortality
A team at the VA North Texas Health Care System and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center studied the impact of a particular antibiotic used in pneumonia care—azithromycin—on the outcomes of Veterans age 65 and older.
VA cares for more than 300,000 Veterans with dementia, and a recent study points to a promising new model to enhance the care and services they receive.
Ocular tremor does not originate from head movements
A new study from the Richmond (Va.) VA confirms earlier findings by the same team suggesting that ocular tremors—an inability to maintain a stable fixed gaze—could be an early warning sign of Parkinson's disease.
See also
Honorable Mentions
