Health-related quality of life and social determinants of health following COVID-19 infection in a predominantly Latino population.

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, more information is needed on its long-term impacts on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and social determinants of health (SDoH). The aim of the study was to assess HRQoL and SDoH among a predominantly Latino population of COVID-19 survivors and to compare effects in Latinos versus non-Latinos.

Methods: This cross-sectional study consisted of a survey (in English and Spanish) of COVID-19 survivors from December 2020 to July 2021.

Blood biomarkers for cognitive decline and clinical progression in a Mexican American cohort.

: The clinical translation of biofluid markers for dementia requires validation in diverse cohorts. The study goal was to evaluate if blood biomarkers reflecting diverse pathophysiological processes predict disease progression in Mexican American adults. : Mexican American adults (n = 745), 50 years of age and older, completed annual assessments over a mean of 4 years.

Absolute Prostate Specific Antigen after 6 Months of Androgen Deprivation Therapy Is a Predictor of Overall and Cancer-Specific Mortality in Men with Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer.

Purpose: We sought to determine if absolute prostate specific antigen (PSA) value after 6 months of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is predictive of subsequent survival in patients with prostate adenocarcinoma.

Materials And Methods: We performed a retrospective review of men receiving care within the Veterans Health Administration who initiated ADT for prostate adenocarcinoma. We used low- (≤0.

Intranasal Oxytocin Improves Lean Muscle Mass and Lowers LDL Cholesterol in Older Adults with Sarcopenic Obesity: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: Obesity is associated with sarcopenia in older adults, and weight loss can lead to further muscle mass loss. Oxytocin decreases with age, and animal studies suggest that oxytocin administration has trophic effects on skeletal muscle cells and reduces adiposity. We conducted a clinical trial to examine the safety and preliminary efficacy of intranasal oxytocin for older adults with sarcopenic obesity.

Patency of arterial repairs from wartime extremity vascular injuries.

Background: Extremity vascular injury (EVI) causes significant disability in Veterans of the Afghanistan/Iraq conflicts. Advancements in acute trauma care improved survival and decreased amputations. The study of wartime EVI has relied on successful limb salvage as a surrogate for vascular repair.

A geriatrics walking clinic improves hemoglobin A1c and timed gait in older veterans with type 2 diabetes.

Over one quarter of older adults in the U.S. has diabetes; and, physical activity is important for the promotion of healthy aging in this population.

Persistent Pain, Physical Dysfunction, and Decreased Quality of Life After Combat Extremity Vascular Trauma.

Background: Combat-related extremity vascular injuries (EVI) have long-lasting impact on Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. The purpose of this study is to describe long-term functional outcomes in veterans with EVI using survey measures and identify modifiable factors that may be improved to reduce chronic pain and injury-related dysfunction.

Methods: Veterans with upper and lower EVI undergoing an initial limb salvage attempt were identified using the Department of Defense Trauma Registry and validated with chart abstraction.

Joint trajectories of cognition and gait speed in Mexican American and European American older adults: The San Antonio longitudinal study of aging.

Objectives: Cognitive decline and gait speed slowing are independent predictors of disability and mortality. While both factors increase in prevalence with advancing age, little is known about their combined patterns of change. The study goal was to identify joint trajectories of cognition and gait speed within an aging bi-ethnic cohort of Mexican Americans and European Americans.

Metformin modifies disparity in hepatocellular carcinoma incidence in men with type 2 diabetes but without chronic liver diseases.

Background: We assessed racial/ethnic disparity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence among men with type 2 diabetes (T2D) but without chronic liver diseases (CLD), and whether metformin use modified the disparity.

Methods: Study cohort: the nationwide Veterans Administration Health Care System electronic medical records among 40-89 years old men with T2D; without CLD, cancer, cardiovascular or renal diseases previously; insulin and thiazolidinedione naive. Logistic regression analyses compared HCC incidence between race/ethnicity groups under no metformin use adjusted for covariates and inverse propensity score weights (IPSW) for race/ethnicity.

A Pharmacist-Led Transitional Care Program to Reduce Hospital Readmissions in Older Adults.

Medication reconciliation and patient education during admission and after discharge helped older patients remain independent at home.

Association of parental status and diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder among veterans of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

Research indicates that concerns about disruption of family relationships during military service may be associated with greater posttraumatic stress symptomatology. The current study sought to extend previous findings by examining the relative odds of a posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis among Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) veterans with dependent children versus veterans without dependent children. Administrative databases were queried to identify 36,334 OEF/OIF veterans with dependent children seeking care in the Veterans Health Administration (VA) during fiscal years 2006-2009.

Posttransplantation Outcomes in Veterans With Serious Mental Illness.

Background: Anticipating poor recovery due to impaired self-management and appointment-keeping, clinicians may consider serious mental illness (SMI) a significant concern in organ transplantation. However, little empirical evidence exists regarding posttransplantation outcomes for patients with SMI.

Methods: This study analyzed health services data to evaluate posttransplantation 3-year survival by SMI status in a nationwide cohort of patients in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).