Publications by authors named "Drew A Helmer"

Objective: Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing healthcare, but less is known about how it may facilitate methodological innovations in research settings. In this manuscript, we describe a novel use of AI in summarizing and reporting qualitative data generated from an expert panel discussion about the role of electronic health records (EHRs) in implementation science.

Materials And Methods: 15 implementation scientists participated in an hour-long expert panel discussion addressing how EHRs can support implementation strategies, measure implementation outcomes, and influence implementation science.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War have experienced excess health problems, most prominently the multisymptom condition Gulf War illness (GWI). The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Program #2006 "Genomics of Gulf War Illness in Veterans" project was established to address important questions concerning pathobiological and genetic aspects of GWI. The current study evaluated patterns of chronic ill health/GWI in the VA Million Veteran Program (MVP) Gulf War veteran cohort in relation to wartime exposures and key features of deployment, 27-30 years after Gulf War service.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Gulf War veterans often suffer from Gulf War Illness (GWI) with chronic symptoms potentially linked to autonomic nervous system dysfunction and small fiber neuropathy (SFN), raising concerns about environmental toxic exposures during their service.* -
  • A study of 51 Gulf War veterans showed that 83% had GWI, and 57% of those with GWI were also diagnosed with SFN; however, no significant differences in ANS symptoms were found between veterans with and without SFN.* -
  • The research identified potential causes for SFN in 67% of those affected, and while many cases had identifiable risk factors, about 20% of veterans had idiopathic SFN, suggesting more research is needed for
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The PACT Act of 2022 has spurred interest in studying toxic exposures among military personnel, with a focus on developing epigenomic biomarkers that could reveal health effects linked to these exposures.
  • - A study involving 22 Veterans highlighted that many are interested in receiving information about their toxic exposure and its health implications, citing benefits like understanding intergenerational health and early interventions.
  • - Despite the positive attitudes towards epigenomic research, Veterans expressed concerns about potential risks, including psychological distress and issues of privacy, indicating a complex sentiment towards this type of testing.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Excess rates of Gulf War illness (GWI) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), two chronic multisymptom illnesses, have long been documented among nearly 700,000 veterans who served in the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War. We sought to report the prevalence, characteristics, and association of GWI and IBS decades after the war in a clinical cohort of deployed Gulf War veterans (GWVs) who were evaluated at the Department of Veterans Affairs' War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC) for unexplained chronic symptoms.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed data gathered from clinical intake questionnaires of deployed GWVs who were evaluated at WRIISC clinics between 2008 and 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry (AHOBPR) in 2014 to address exposure concerns for veterans who have served in military operations in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan. By 2021, over 236,086 veterans completed the online questionnaire and 60% requested an AHOBPR examination. Of those requesting an exam, only 12% had an exam recorded in their medical record.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: With the signing of the PACT Act in 2022, there is great interest and investment in studying toxic exposures encountered during military service. One way to address this is through the identification of epigenomic biomarkers associated with exposures. There is increasing evidence suggesting that exposure to toxic substances may result in alterations to DNA methylation and resultant gene expression.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

To address gaps in understanding the pathophysiology of Gulf War Illness (GWI), the VA Million Veteran Program (MVP) developed and implemented a survey to MVP enrollees who served in the U.S. military during the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War (GW).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Medically unexplained syndromes (MUS) are health issues that doctors can’t fully explain, often making patients feel very unhappy with their care.
  • The study looked at goals from Gulf War veterans with these symptoms to understand what they want from treatment and life.
  • Researchers found that treatment goals were mostly about getting healthier, while life goals were about living a happy and fulfilling life.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Approximately 30% of the 700 000 Gulf War veterans report a chronic symptom-based illness of varying severity referred to as Gulf War illness (GWI). Toxic deployment-related exposures have been implicated in the cause of GWI, some of which contribute to metabolic dysregulation and lipid abnormalities. As this cohort ages, the relationship between GWI and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is a growing concern.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Metabolic conditions can negatively impact asthma, prompting researchers to find a reliable biomarker indicating metabolic dysfunction that links to asthma outcomes.
  • The study examined the triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) as a potential biomarker for assessing the risk of severe asthma attacks over a 5-year period among veterans.
  • Results showed that a TyG score above 8.3 increases the risk of severe asthma exacerbations by 6%, suggesting that elevated TyG can help identify patients who may need more aggressive asthma treatment and potential metabolic interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS), such as chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and Gulf War Illness (GWI), are difficult to treat. Concordance-shared understanding between patient and provider about illness causes, course, and treatment-is an essential component of high-quality care for people with MUS. This qualitative paper focuses on the experiences of United States military Veterans living with GWI who have endured unique healthcare challenges.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The Million Veteran Program (MVP) participants represent 100 years of US history, including significant social and demographic changes over time. Our study assessed two aspects of the MVP: (i) longitudinal changes in population diversity and (ii) how these changes can be accounted for in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). To investigate these aspects, we divided MVP participants into five birth cohorts (N-range = 123,888 [born from 1943 to 1947] to 136,699 [born from 1948 to 1953]).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Previous studies have hypothesized that autozygosity is decreasing over generational time. However, these studies were limited to relatively small samples (n < 11,000) lacking in diversity, which may limit the generalizability of their findings. We present data that partially support this hypothesis from three large cohorts of diverse ancestries, two from the US (All of Us, n = 82,474; the Million Veteran Program, n = 622,497) and one from the UK (UK Biobank, n = 380,899).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Gulf War Illness (GWI) and alcohol use are both major sources of disability among Gulf War Veterans. The goal of this secondary data analysis was to examine associations between risky alcohol use, problem-solving impairment, and disability among Veterans in a randomized clinical trial of problem-solving treatment (PST) for GWI. We examined cross-sectional associations and conducted longitudinal analyses to test if alcohol use moderated treatment outcome of PST.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Some people's beliefs about why they have ongoing physical problems can change how they deal with those problems.
  • A study with 262 Veterans who have Gulf War Illness showed that those who thought their issues were caused by their own actions (like what they eat or how much they exercise) felt more hopeful about getting better.
  • The results suggest that understanding what people think causes their symptoms could help them believe they can improve their health.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Awareness of negative health impacts associated with food insecurity among US veterans is growing. Yet, little research has examined characteristics associated with persistent vs transient food insecurity.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate characteristics associated with persistent vs transient food insecurity among US veterans.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: This study evaluated the factors that led to enrollment in, and satisfaction with, behavioral interventions for Veterans living with Gulf War Illness (GWI).

Methods: One-on-one interviews were conducted pre- and post-intervention with participants randomized to receive either telephone delivered problem-solving treatment (n = 51) or health education (N = 49). A total of 99 Veterans were interviewed pre-intervention and 60 post-intervention.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Gulf War Illness (GWI) is a long-lasting sickness that affects many veterans who served during the Gulf War in 1990-1991.
  • A study looked at how GWI symptoms differ among veterans based on their backgrounds and experiences in the military.
  • Out of nearly 110,000 veterans contacted, over 13,000 served in the Gulf War, and the study found that a large number still have symptoms of GWI, suggesting the need to learn more about its causes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - This study investigated the risk factors for sarcoidosis in veterans who participated in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry after serving in Afghanistan or Southwest Asia.
  • - A total of 661 veterans (0.37%) were diagnosed with sarcoidosis, with Hispanic veterans and Navy service members showing lower odds of the condition, while African American veterans and former smokers had increased risk.
  • - The study found that sarcoidosis was rare among participants, linked primarily to convoy activities, and was only associated with one out of eight deployment-related exposure factors assessed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Importance: Few evidence-based treatments are available for Gulf War illness (GWI). Behavioral treatments that target factors known to maintain the disability from GWI, such as problem-solving impairment, may be beneficial. Problem-solving treatment (PST) targets problem-solving impairment and is an evidence-based treatment for other conditions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic caused widespread changes to healthcare, but few studies focus on ambulatory care during the early phase of the pandemic. We characterize veterans' ambulatory care experience, specifically access and satisfaction, early in the pandemic.

Methods: We employed a semi-structured telephone interview to capture quantitative and qualitative data from patients scheduled with a primary care provider between March 1 - June 30, 2020.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF