This week, VA’s Office of Research and Development published three News Briefs highlighting research findings on a suicide, liver disease and stroke.
Moral injury increases suicide thoughts and attempts
Central Arkansas VA and the National Center for PTSD led a national team of researchers who found Veterans, health care workers and first responders who screened positive for moral injury had six-times greater odds of attempting suicide in their lifetime and were three times more likely to have thought of suicide in the last two weeks.
The researchers surveyed a national sample of 1,200 men and women from high-stress, service-oriented military and civilian occupations. Within this group, 6% screened positive for probable moral injury. Moral injury can develop from exposure to a highly stressful event that goes against one’s beliefs about morally acceptable conduct. The researchers found moral injury is significantly associated with suicidal thoughts and attempts after controlling for other factors such as mental illness, age and sex. The findings demonstrate the importance of including moral injury in suicide prevention efforts, especially for people who work in high-stress, service-oriented occupations. View the full study from “NJP Mental Health Research.”
GLP1-RA reduces risk of death in liver disease patients
Researchers from VA Orlando and the University of Florida reported Veterans with non-alcoholic liver disease who were prescribed GLP1-RA, a newer medication used to treat diabetes and obesity, had less liver disease progression and were 28% less likely to die of heart attacks than patients prescribed another common diabetes medication, DPP4i.
The researchers examined the medical records of nearly 120,000 Veterans with the common liver disease metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) between 2005 and 2021. MASLD can lead to liver cirrhosis and is associated with an increased risk of major acute cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke. The first line of treatment for MASLD is weight loss, and GLP1-RA is increasingly used to help with weight loss. The findings indicate GLP1-RA can lower the risk of both liver disease progression and heart attack, and may be more effective than prioritizing treating liver disease on its own. View the full study from “Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.”
Stroke risk higher for women after heart valve replacement
VA Eastern Colorado and University of Colorado researchers learned that women were 20% more likely than men to suffer a stroke following a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Also, when women did have a stroke, it was 30% more likely that the stroke will be disabling, leading to death or the inability to return home. The researchers analyzed five years of national data on about 380,000 patients, both Veterans and non-Veterans, who underwent TAVR, a minimally invasive heart procedure for severe aortic stenosis, a narrowing of the heart valve that restricts blood flow. This was the first study that examined the sex differences in stroke severity after a TAVR and adds present-day data to update prior research. The findings emphasize the importance of developing targeted strategies to reduce stroke risk and enhance outcomes for female patients. View the full study from the “Journal of the American Heart Association.”
For more Office of Research and Development updates, visit ORD online or go to https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/.
Topics in this story
More Stories
VA Research recently published findings on a decision aid to prevent suicide, how CBD affects the kidneys and brain stimulation to reduce headaches.
VA Research recently published three News Briefs highlighting advances on PTSD treatment, sleep apnea and a pilot food program.
VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting research findings on a lung cancer treatment, Alzheimer's disease and maternity care.
Last year I collapsed in my bedroom. I don’t know what caused it but I was soon back on my feet. My wife is from another country and is unsure what to do in such an emergency. She contacted my oldest daughter of 65 years and she called an ambulance and they soon arrived. I was transported to the local hospital. Unfortunately, I failed to take my wallet confining my ID and medical coverage Medicare A and B plus Tricare for life. I was 86 years old and the medic in the ambulance was unable to establish an IV and after several attempts we arrived at the hospital. I listened to the personnel at the intake door trying to establish my ID. I heard the head nurse arrived on scene and she asked “what do we have here” referring to me on the gurney. She looked at me for a minute and spoke, I sure hope it’s not another of those damn vets looking for pain medication. Oh well take him upstairs. I heard another nurse state Oh No not upstairs and I so found out what that meant and after five miserable days my son came to the hospital and took me home. I can see what would cause weaker vets to quit . I have two purple heart medals and after two tours in Sunny Vietnam and medivaced twice, I’m not about to quit. I am married to a wonderful woman that cares for me daily. The VA has been there for me nonstop.
Thank you! Good to know info.
My daughter is 100% service connected disabled due to PTSD. She was in a PolyTrauma center for over a year because there was no place that she could go. She is 40, cognitively impaired and requires 24/7 supervision. She was turned down by some VA facilities because she was too young. She is also FEMALE. Where are those facilities? I have made other arrangements but my daughter is probably not alone in this situation.
I look forward to getting a response.