Author Interviews, Disability Research, Exercise - Fitness, Pain Research / 21.01.2025

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Cheryl A. Krause-Parello, PhD, RN, FAAN Associate Vice President for Research Associate Executive Director & Faculty Fellow Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention (I-HEALTH) Director, C-P.A.W.W. Canines Providing Assistance to Wounded Warriors® Health Research Initiative for Veterans Professor (Secondary), Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Florida Atlantic University MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Chronic pain, especially chronic low back pain, is a significant issue for U.S. military veterans, affecting 40–70% of this population and often leading to disability. Veterans experience higher rates of chronic pain than civilians, with back pain being the most prevalent type. Younger veterans and those from recent conflicts report more severe pain, while older veterans frequently face persistent chronic pain. Complicating factors include comorbid conditions such as PTSD, traumatic brain injury, and behavioral disorders, as well as an increased reliance on opioids, which pose risks of addiction and overdose. This underscores the need for nonpharmacological interventions like qigong, a traditional Chinese practice combining movement, breathing, and meditation, to address the biopsychosocial challenges of chronic low back pain. (more…)
PTSD, Social Issues, Veterans / 02.12.2024

Veterans returning from service often carry the invisible burdens of their experiences, making the transition to civilian life a challenging journey. Mental health issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety can make it difficult for many veterans to reintegrate, often leading to unemployment, relationship struggles, and, for far too many, homelessness. While the causes of veteran homelessness are complex, a major factor is untreated or inadequately treated mental health issues. Addressing these mental health needs through timely and effective support is essential in reducing homelessness among veterans.

The Connection Between Mental Health and Homelessness

Research has shown that veterans are at a significantly higher risk of homelessness than the general population. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), veterans make up a sizable portion of the homeless population, with mental health challenges being one of the primary contributors. Conditions like PTSD and depression often stem from experiences in combat zones, which can include exposure to violence, the loss of fellow soldiers, and extended periods of high stress. These mental health conditions not only create emotional and psychological distress but can also disrupt a veteran’s ability to secure stable employment, form supportive relationships, and engage with their community. For instance, untreated PTSD can lead to symptoms such as hypervigilance, sleep disorders, and emotional numbness, all of which can interfere with daily life. Without treatment, veterans may find themselves isolated, unable to hold a steady job, and financially insecure—factors that often lead to homelessness. (more…)
Health Care Systems / 11.11.2024

For Veterans who have honorably served their country, accessing the healthcare they deserve should be straightforward. However, the reality is that the U.S. Veteran healthcare system, particularly the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), is often complicated and cumbersome. Veterans frequently encounter barriers to care, including long wait times, eligibility confusion, overwhelming bureaucracy, and delays in receiving treatment. These obstacles can negatively impact their physical and mental health, creating unnecessary suffering for those who have already given so much. This article explores the challenges Veterans face in navigating the VA healthcare system, and it examines ongoing efforts and potential solutions to streamline the process. (more…)
Author Interviews, JAMA, Social Issues / 04.12.2020

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Amal Trivedi, MD, MPH Professor of Health Services, Policy & Practice Director of Graduate Studies, Health Services Research Brown University School of Public Health MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Nearly all hospitals in the United States, including all Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs), report mortality rates for patients hospitalized for common medical and surgical conditions. But these mortality rates do not adjust for socioeconomic factors that are associated with worse outcomes following hospitalization. (more…)
Author Interviews, Cannabis, Heart Disease, Stroke / 17.11.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Rupak Desai, MBBS Research Fellow, Division of Cardiology Atlanta VA Medical Center MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? Response: Amidst legalization of therapeutic and recreational use of marijuana/cannabis in the United States, cerebrovascular effects of marijuana use remain largely unknown, especially among young adults. We examined the association between cannabis use (18–44 years) among young adults and stroke events. The study analyzed pooled data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2016–2017)—a nationally representative cross-sectional survey collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overall, 13.6% of total 43,860 young adults (18-44 years) reported using cannabis recently (in the last month), with 63.3% of them being men. Compared with nonusers, marijuana users were often younger, non-Hispanic white or black, and with some college education. (more…)
Author Interviews, Medical Imaging, Mental Health Research, UCSD / 13.05.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Dr. Mingxiong Huang, PhD Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering University of California, San Diego MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?   Response: Combat-related mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a leading cause of sustained impairments in military service members and Veterans. Yet, conventional neuroimaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are typically insensitive to physiological alterations caused by mild and some moderate TBIs. With funding from the VA, we have pursued in developing sensitive imaging markers based on magnetoencephalography (MEG) for mTBI. This paper reflects the news MEG findings in this research field.  (more…)
Author Interviews, Health Care Systems, JAMA / 21.01.2019

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: David Shulkin, MD Ninth Secretary, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Washington, District Of Columbia Shulkin Solutions LLC Gladwyne, Pennsylvania MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?  Response: I came to VA in 2015 as Under Secretary for Health, as a result of the 2014 wait time crisis.  At that time, it was determined that in some locations, veterans had been waiting for care for too long and there were allegations that this had resulted in harm to a number of veterans.  I was in the private sector at the time, but was asked by President Obama to come and help improve the situation. Upon my arrival we created systems to determine which veterans were waiting for urgent healthcare and which ones for routine care.  From here, we established same day services for all veterans waiting for urgent care through primary care and behavioral health access points.  This goal was achieved nationwide at the end of 2016.  When I became Secretary in 2017,  we began publishing our wait time data for all to see, so that veterans had accurate information on which to base their choices on and to provide transparency into where we were improving and where we needed to focus our efforts.  In addition, through programmatic and legislative efforts, we expanded our utilization of private sector options so that veterans with clinical needs would be able to get better access to care. This study was meant to determine whether our efforts from 2014 had resulted in improvements to access and in addition how access to care in the VA compared to access in the private sector.   Despite limitations in the data available from the private sector (since others do not publish their actual wait time data similar to VA) we used a data set that we felt had some applicability for these comparisons. We found that for the most part, VA wait times are often shorter than in the private sector,  and that VA wait times had improved since 2014 while the private sectors access had stayed the same.  (more…)