VA Research: New findings on prescribing safety and trauma
The VA's Office of Research and Development recently published three significant research findings that could reshape how veterans receive care in critical areas: medication safety for those on blood thinners, treatment for military sexual trauma-related PTSD, and dementia prevention in older veterans. These studies, conducted at VA medical centers across the country, demonstrate the department's ongoing commitment to evidence-based care improvements that directly affect veteran health outcomes.
The first study addresses a widespread prescribing problem that puts veterans at unnecessary risk. Many veterans taking direct oral anticoagulants—powerful blood thinners—were also being prescribed antiplatelet medications like low-dose aspirin, a combination that significantly increases the risk of major bleeding. VA researchers at Ann Arbor compared outcomes at seven VA sites that implemented a two-stage safety initiative against 128 control sites. The intervention included clinician and patient education, electronic health record tools to promote evidence-based prescribing, and an electronic dashboard that flags potentially harmful drug combinations for pharmacists. The results were substantial: antiplatelet medication use dropped from 26.1 percent to 17.9 percent, with veterans who had stable coronary artery disease seeing the greatest benefit.
The second study offers hope for veterans struggling with the aftermath of military sexual trauma. Researchers at VA Puget Sound and Portland tested a specialized group treatment called Warrior Renew against standard care for veterans with MST-related PTSD. Veterans in the Warrior Renew program participated in eight weekly virtual sessions lasting 90 minutes each, specifically focused on coping with military sexual trauma. Those in the comparison group attended general health and well-being group therapy sessions. Veterans who received the MST-focused treatment showed greater improvements on two PTSD measurement scales at the end of treatment, with self-blame showing the most significant improvement. Critically, only the Warrior Renew participants maintained clinically meaningful improvements eight weeks after treatment ended, demonstrating the value of tailored care for this specific trauma.
The third finding reveals an unexpected connection between shingles vaccination and dementia prevention in older veterans. Providence VA researchers analyzed data from more than 500,000 people aged 66 or older admitted to skilled nursing facilities for residential or acute care. Those who received the shingles vaccine showed a 24 percent lower risk of developing dementia. Even after adjusting for other health factors including hip fractures and wellness visit frequency, the vaccine remained associated with a 12 percent lower dementia risk in the four years following vaccination. Researchers believe the protection may result from reduced neuroinflammation and decreased accumulation of harmful proteins and plaques in the brain.
For disabled veterans, these findings carry practical implications across multiple aspects of VA care. The medication safety initiative demonstrates that VA is actively working to prevent harmful drug interactions that disproportionately affect veterans managing multiple chronic conditions. The MST treatment research validates specialized care approaches for trauma that affects both men and women veterans, while the dementia study suggests that routine preventive care like vaccinations may offer benefits beyond their primary purpose.
Veterans currently taking blood thinners should review their complete medication list with their VA pharmacist or primary care provider to ensure they're not receiving unnecessary antiplatelet medications. Those dealing with MST-related PTSD should ask their mental health provider about specialized treatment programs like Warrior Renew that may be available at their facility. Older veterans or those with aging parents in VA care should ensure they're current on recommended vaccinations, including the shingles vaccine, and discuss any questions about dementia prevention strategies with their healthcare team.