VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on toxic exposure, suicide and pain management

This week, VA’s Office of Research and Development published three News Briefs highlighting research finding on toxic exposure, cancer and suicide risk, and alternative treatments for chronic pain.

Non-combat exposures linked to breathing problems

VA researchers showed that Veterans who performed heavy equipment and aircraft maintenance were at higher risk of lung problems. A total of 1,712 Veterans whose military service occurred mostly outside of conflict zones like Afghanistan and Southwest Asia participated in the study.

About 7% reported shortness of breath, 7% had chronic bronchitis and 15% reported wheezing. Exposure to fumes and dust while performing heavy equipment and aircraft maintenance significantly increased the risk of these conditions. The researchers excluded exposures from burn pits, instead focusing on less-studied exposures outside of deployment. The researchers suggested airborne exposures encountered outside of combat and deployment should be taken into account when assessing Veterans’ respiratory health. View the full study from “JAMA Network Open.”

Suicide rate higher in new cancer patients

VA Rocky Mountain Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center for Suicide Prevention researchers discovered Veteran cancer survivors have a suicide rate 37% higher than those who never had cancer. In nearly 440,000 Veterans diagnosed with cancer between 2010 and 2020, the risk of suicide was highest in the first year after diagnosis or recurrence and remained high for five years before falling to rates similar to those in Veterans without cancer. Veteran cancer survivors older than 85 died by suicide at a rate almost eight times that of other Veterans, and those from 70 to 84 were nearly five times more likely to die by suicide. Cancers with the highest suicide rates were esophageal, pancreatic, male reproductive, head and neck, and respiratory cancers. Also, the higher a Veteran’s cancer stage, the higher the rate of suicide. The findings suggest the need for screening newly diagnosed cancer patients for suicide risk and providing appropriate services. View the full study in the “Journal of Affective Disorders.”

Alternative treatment methods improve chronic pain

Minneapolis VA researchers learned that complementary and integrative health treatments delivered through both VA and community care benefited Veterans with chronic pain, but differences in effectiveness and implementation existed. VA outperformed community care in pain reduction from acupuncture and chiropractic services, but community care medical massage had better results. Overall, more sessions of all three treatments led to more pain reduction for both VA and community care. Differences in effectiveness may be explained by how services are delivered, according to the researchers. VA Whole Health offers a wide range of services, while community care tends to focus primarily on symptom recovery. The findings demonstrated comprehensive and integrative health treatment can be effective at reducing chronic pain in both VA and community care settings, leaving the patient to determine which approach best meets their needs. View the full study in “Global Advances in Integrative Medicine and Health.”

For more Office of Research and Development updates, visit ORD online or go to https://www.research.va.gov/news_briefs/.