VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on arterial stiffness, PTSD and Parkinson’s disease
VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting research findings on treating arterial stiffness and high blood pressure, PTSD treatment and the link between Parkinson’s disease and skin cancer.
Medication reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness
Researchers from the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia, Mo., and their colleagues showed low-dose treatment with the medication amiloride significantly reduced arterial stiffness and high blood pressure in patients with obesity and insulin resistance.
In this 24-week trial, overweight or obese patients with at least one metabolic syndrome, such as diabetes or insulin resistance, who took amiloride had significantly less arterial stiffness and lower blood pressure than patients taking a placebo. No major safety concerns were observed. Obesity and insulin resistance increase activation of a biological pathway called the epithelial sodium channel, leading to arterial stiffening, while amiloride works by blocking this channel. The findings highlight amiloride’s potential as a treatment for patients at increased cardiovascular risk.
Primary care therapy improves PTSD
A Southeast Louisiana VA study demonstrated that delivering written exposure therapy for PTSD in VA primary care was feasible and effective.
In this pilot study, 36 Veterans received five 40-60 minute sessions of written exposure therapy—which involves writing about traumatic experiences followed by discussing the writing with a therapist—as part of primary care visits. The majority of participants completed the treatment, and those who did had large and immediate reductions in PTSD symptoms that lasted at least a month. While VA mental health specialty clinics have been proven effective for treating PTSD, many Veterans decline referrals and do not follow through with recommended care. Incorporating treatments such as written exposure therapy into routine primary care has the potential to bring PTSD treatment to Veterans reluctant to enter traditional mental health care.
Skin cancer more likely in Veterans with Parkinson’s disease
VA Boston researchers learned that Veterans with Parkinson’s disease had nearly double the hazard of melanoma.
The analysis involved data from more than 7 million Veterans, about 2% of whom had Parkinson’s disease. Veterans with Parkinson’s disease were also more likely to develop skin cancer on the head and neck. Epidemiological studies suggest factors such as immune dysregulation and overlapping genetic risk as potential reasons for the link between Parkinson’s and melanoma. The results suggest a need for increased skin cancer surveillance in Veterans with Parkinson’s disease to prevent and treat melanoma.
For more Office of Research and Development updates, visit ORD online or go to https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/.