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A vaginal ring that continuously releases dapivirine, an experimental antiretroviral drug, provided a “modest” level of protection against HIV infection in a multisite clinical trial that involved more than 2,600 African women.

The ASPIRE study, also known as MTN-020, funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, began in 2012. Women received either the ring containing dapivirine or a placebo ring. The rings were replaced every 4 weeks.

The antiretroviral ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 27% overall and by 61% among those who used the ring most consistently, women aged ≥ 25 years. When the researchers excluded data from 2 sites where many women did not return for study visits or use the ring consistently, the dapivirine ring reduced risk by 37%.

When the researchers performed further analyses, they found that the ring reduced the risk of infection by 56% in women older than 21 years but provided no significant protection for women aged 18 to 21. Younger women appeared to use the ring less consistently, based on the blood levels of dapivirine measured during study visits.

The rate of adverse events was similar among women in both groups, as was the frequency of antiretroviral resistance in women who acquired HIV.

In another ongoing large trial, which tested the dapivirine ring for safety and efficacy, researchers found an overall effectiveness of 31%, with a slightly greater reduction of risk in women older than 21.

The ASPIRE study is the first to demonstrate that a product that slowly releases the antiretroviral over time can offer partial protection from HIV.

A vaginal ring that continuously releases dapivirine, an experimental antiretroviral drug, provided a “modest” level of protection against HIV infection in a multisite clinical trial that involved more than 2,600 African women.

The ASPIRE study, also known as MTN-020, funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, began in 2012. Women received either the ring containing dapivirine or a placebo ring. The rings were replaced every 4 weeks.

The antiretroviral ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 27% overall and by 61% among those who used the ring most consistently, women aged ≥ 25 years. When the researchers excluded data from 2 sites where many women did not return for study visits or use the ring consistently, the dapivirine ring reduced risk by 37%.

When the researchers performed further analyses, they found that the ring reduced the risk of infection by 56% in women older than 21 years but provided no significant protection for women aged 18 to 21. Younger women appeared to use the ring less consistently, based on the blood levels of dapivirine measured during study visits.

The rate of adverse events was similar among women in both groups, as was the frequency of antiretroviral resistance in women who acquired HIV.

In another ongoing large trial, which tested the dapivirine ring for safety and efficacy, researchers found an overall effectiveness of 31%, with a slightly greater reduction of risk in women older than 21.

The ASPIRE study is the first to demonstrate that a product that slowly releases the antiretroviral over time can offer partial protection from HIV.

A vaginal ring that continuously releases dapivirine, an experimental antiretroviral drug, provided a “modest” level of protection against HIV infection in a multisite clinical trial that involved more than 2,600 African women.

The ASPIRE study, also known as MTN-020, funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, began in 2012. Women received either the ring containing dapivirine or a placebo ring. The rings were replaced every 4 weeks.

The antiretroviral ring reduced the risk of HIV infection by 27% overall and by 61% among those who used the ring most consistently, women aged ≥ 25 years. When the researchers excluded data from 2 sites where many women did not return for study visits or use the ring consistently, the dapivirine ring reduced risk by 37%.

When the researchers performed further analyses, they found that the ring reduced the risk of infection by 56% in women older than 21 years but provided no significant protection for women aged 18 to 21. Younger women appeared to use the ring less consistently, based on the blood levels of dapivirine measured during study visits.

The rate of adverse events was similar among women in both groups, as was the frequency of antiretroviral resistance in women who acquired HIV.

In another ongoing large trial, which tested the dapivirine ring for safety and efficacy, researchers found an overall effectiveness of 31%, with a slightly greater reduction of risk in women older than 21.

The ASPIRE study is the first to demonstrate that a product that slowly releases the antiretroviral over time can offer partial protection from HIV.

Preliminary results from the Testosterone Trials, a group of studies supported in part by the National Institutes on Aging, suggest that restoring levels of testosterone to those of healthy young men improves the sexual function of seniors, but does not significantly affect mobility and fatigue.

Related: Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Playing Catch-up With Patients

The findings are from the first 3 of 7 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials aimed at determining whether testosterone treatment could alleviate those symptoms. The trials were recommended by the former Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) as a key step before considering larger trials of long-term risks.

In the studies, 790 men aged ≥ 65 years received daily testosterone or placebo via gel. Serum testosterone concentration was measured regularly for 12 months. Testosterone did not significantly affect walking ability, but in all 3 trials walking speed and distance did improve in the testosterone group, compared with the placebo group. Testosterone did not have a significant effect on fatigue, but had “modest favorable” effects on mood. Men in the testosterone group were also more likely to report that they had more energy.

Related: Opioid-Induced Androgen Deficiency in Veterans With Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

“For a long time, there has been interest in whether testosterone is an appropriate therapy for aging-related conditions in men,” said NIA Director Richard Hodes, MD. “This study clarifies questions about some of its potential benefits. As the researchers note, clarifying the risks requires further study.” Participants experienced few adverse events, but too few to draw conclusions about risks in older men, especially given that men at high risk for prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease were not included in the trial.

Preliminary results from the Testosterone Trials, a group of studies supported in part by the National Institutes on Aging, suggest that restoring levels of testosterone to those of healthy young men improves the sexual function of seniors, but does not significantly affect mobility and fatigue.

Related: Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Playing Catch-up With Patients

The findings are from the first 3 of 7 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials aimed at determining whether testosterone treatment could alleviate those symptoms. The trials were recommended by the former Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) as a key step before considering larger trials of long-term risks.

In the studies, 790 men aged ≥ 65 years received daily testosterone or placebo via gel. Serum testosterone concentration was measured regularly for 12 months. Testosterone did not significantly affect walking ability, but in all 3 trials walking speed and distance did improve in the testosterone group, compared with the placebo group. Testosterone did not have a significant effect on fatigue, but had “modest favorable” effects on mood. Men in the testosterone group were also more likely to report that they had more energy.

Related: Opioid-Induced Androgen Deficiency in Veterans With Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

“For a long time, there has been interest in whether testosterone is an appropriate therapy for aging-related conditions in men,” said NIA Director Richard Hodes, MD. “This study clarifies questions about some of its potential benefits. As the researchers note, clarifying the risks requires further study.” Participants experienced few adverse events, but too few to draw conclusions about risks in older men, especially given that men at high risk for prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease were not included in the trial.

Preliminary results from the Testosterone Trials, a group of studies supported in part by the National Institutes on Aging, suggest that restoring levels of testosterone to those of healthy young men improves the sexual function of seniors, but does not significantly affect mobility and fatigue.

Related: Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Playing Catch-up With Patients

The findings are from the first 3 of 7 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials aimed at determining whether testosterone treatment could alleviate those symptoms. The trials were recommended by the former Institute of Medicine (now the National Academy of Medicine) as a key step before considering larger trials of long-term risks.

In the studies, 790 men aged ≥ 65 years received daily testosterone or placebo via gel. Serum testosterone concentration was measured regularly for 12 months. Testosterone did not significantly affect walking ability, but in all 3 trials walking speed and distance did improve in the testosterone group, compared with the placebo group. Testosterone did not have a significant effect on fatigue, but had “modest favorable” effects on mood. Men in the testosterone group were also more likely to report that they had more energy.

Related: Opioid-Induced Androgen Deficiency in Veterans With Chronic Nonmalignant Pain

“For a long time, there has been interest in whether testosterone is an appropriate therapy for aging-related conditions in men,” said NIA Director Richard Hodes, MD. “This study clarifies questions about some of its potential benefits. As the researchers note, clarifying the risks requires further study.” Participants experienced few adverse events, but too few to draw conclusions about risks in older men, especially given that men at high risk for prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease were not included in the trial.

Pioglitazone, used to treat type 2 diabetes, may reduce the risk of recurrent stroke and heart attacks by 24% in people who are insulin resistant but do not have diabetes, according to findings from the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) trial. The study, supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is the first to provide evidence that suggests a drug targeting cell metabolism may be protective against recurrent vascular events even before diabetes develops.

In the IRIS study, ≥ 3,000 patients who had had an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were randomly assigned to receive pioglitazone or placebo for up to 5 years, in addition to standard care. Nine percent of those on the drug had another stroke or heart attack, compared with 12% of those on placebo.

Pioglitazone also reduced the risk of diabetes by 52%. However, the study offered further evidence of a known adverse effect, increased risk of bone fractures.

Although previous research had suggested that insulin resistance increases the risk of stroke, IRIS was the first to test the pioglitazone treatment. However, pioglitazone is not FDA-approved for the uses studied in the trial.

Pioglitazone, used to treat type 2 diabetes, may reduce the risk of recurrent stroke and heart attacks by 24% in people who are insulin resistant but do not have diabetes, according to findings from the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) trial. The study, supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is the first to provide evidence that suggests a drug targeting cell metabolism may be protective against recurrent vascular events even before diabetes develops.

In the IRIS study, ≥ 3,000 patients who had had an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were randomly assigned to receive pioglitazone or placebo for up to 5 years, in addition to standard care. Nine percent of those on the drug had another stroke or heart attack, compared with 12% of those on placebo.

Pioglitazone also reduced the risk of diabetes by 52%. However, the study offered further evidence of a known adverse effect, increased risk of bone fractures.

Although previous research had suggested that insulin resistance increases the risk of stroke, IRIS was the first to test the pioglitazone treatment. However, pioglitazone is not FDA-approved for the uses studied in the trial.

Pioglitazone, used to treat type 2 diabetes, may reduce the risk of recurrent stroke and heart attacks by 24% in people who are insulin resistant but do not have diabetes, according to findings from the Insulin Resistance Intervention after Stroke (IRIS) trial. The study, supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, is the first to provide evidence that suggests a drug targeting cell metabolism may be protective against recurrent vascular events even before diabetes develops.

In the IRIS study, ≥ 3,000 patients who had had an ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were randomly assigned to receive pioglitazone or placebo for up to 5 years, in addition to standard care. Nine percent of those on the drug had another stroke or heart attack, compared with 12% of those on placebo.

Pioglitazone also reduced the risk of diabetes by 52%. However, the study offered further evidence of a known adverse effect, increased risk of bone fractures.

Although previous research had suggested that insulin resistance increases the risk of stroke, IRIS was the first to test the pioglitazone treatment. However, pioglitazone is not FDA-approved for the uses studied in the trial.

A large scale national study of VA patients found that nearly 14% have considered suicide. The study is available online and will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

The study analyzed the responses of 2,157 veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience Veterans Study (NHRVS), which gathered responses in 2011 (Wave 1) and again in 2013 (Wave 2). Veterans completed measures assessing suicidal ideation (SI), sociodemographic characteristics, and potential risk and protective correlates. The National Center for PTSD provided funding for NHRVS.

According to the authors, while most veterans (86.3%) did not have SI onset at any point, 8.8% had SI in either Wave 1 or 2 and 4.9% had chronic SI with SI indicated at both waves. Other key findings of the research include:

• Medical and psychological comorbidities increase the risk of chronic suicidal ideation.
• Social connectedness was protective for remitted and onset, but not chronic SI.
• Bolstering protective factors may help mitigate risk for SI onset in this population.
• Targeting risk factors, including both physical and mental health, remains important in treating veterans with chonic SI.

Noelle Smith, PhD, was the lead author for the study. When the research was conducted Dr. Smith was with the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, National Center for PTSD, and Yale School of Medicine, all in New Haven. She is currently at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, both in Tampa, Florida.

A large scale national study of VA patients found that nearly 14% have considered suicide. The study is available online and will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

The study analyzed the responses of 2,157 veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience Veterans Study (NHRVS), which gathered responses in 2011 (Wave 1) and again in 2013 (Wave 2). Veterans completed measures assessing suicidal ideation (SI), sociodemographic characteristics, and potential risk and protective correlates. The National Center for PTSD provided funding for NHRVS.

According to the authors, while most veterans (86.3%) did not have SI onset at any point, 8.8% had SI in either Wave 1 or 2 and 4.9% had chronic SI with SI indicated at both waves. Other key findings of the research include:

• Medical and psychological comorbidities increase the risk of chronic suicidal ideation.
• Social connectedness was protective for remitted and onset, but not chronic SI.
• Bolstering protective factors may help mitigate risk for SI onset in this population.
• Targeting risk factors, including both physical and mental health, remains important in treating veterans with chonic SI.

Noelle Smith, PhD, was the lead author for the study. When the research was conducted Dr. Smith was with the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, National Center for PTSD, and Yale School of Medicine, all in New Haven. She is currently at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, both in Tampa, Florida.

A large scale national study of VA patients found that nearly 14% have considered suicide. The study is available online and will appear in the June issue of the Journal of Affective Disorders.

The study analyzed the responses of 2,157 veterans who participated in the National Health and Resilience Veterans Study (NHRVS), which gathered responses in 2011 (Wave 1) and again in 2013 (Wave 2). Veterans completed measures assessing suicidal ideation (SI), sociodemographic characteristics, and potential risk and protective correlates. The National Center for PTSD provided funding for NHRVS.

According to the authors, while most veterans (86.3%) did not have SI onset at any point, 8.8% had SI in either Wave 1 or 2 and 4.9% had chronic SI with SI indicated at both waves. Other key findings of the research include:

• Medical and psychological comorbidities increase the risk of chronic suicidal ideation.
• Social connectedness was protective for remitted and onset, but not chronic SI.
• Bolstering protective factors may help mitigate risk for SI onset in this population.
• Targeting risk factors, including both physical and mental health, remains important in treating veterans with chonic SI.

Noelle Smith, PhD, was the lead author for the study. When the research was conducted Dr. Smith was with the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, National Center for PTSD, and Yale School of Medicine, all in New Haven. She is currently at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, both in Tampa, Florida.

A former physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VAMC, Mark E. Wisner, has been fired, stripped of his license, and faces multiple federal charges for sexual battery and sexual assault for conduct while he was employed at the facility. At least 7 cases were cited by the Board of Healing Arts of the State of Kansas in its Consent Order for Surrender.

A lawyer who represents plaintiffs in 2 of the federal lawsuits, told the Associated Press that he believed there could be dozens of victims and that more lawsuits are likely to be filed. A trial date has not been set.

The allegations against Wisner were first revealed in the Court Order for Surrender. Wisner’s license was revoked for “inappropriate sexual comments, examinations, and the solicitation of sexual acts.” According to the court order, Wisner “used his position as a Physician Assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas to commit sexual battery crimes against patients.”

The allegations against Wisner date back to January 2014 when he was first charged with a sexual battery, a misdemeanor. “I am an impaired practitioner and not capable of patient care,” Wisner wrote to the Board of Healing Arts voluntarily surrendered his license in January 2015. “I will not nor find myself capable of any patient contact from the date of this letter.”

A hospital spokesperson told the Associated Press that the facility takes “very seriously the safety and well-being” of all its veteran patients.

A former physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VAMC, Mark E. Wisner, has been fired, stripped of his license, and faces multiple federal charges for sexual battery and sexual assault for conduct while he was employed at the facility. At least 7 cases were cited by the Board of Healing Arts of the State of Kansas in its Consent Order for Surrender.

A lawyer who represents plaintiffs in 2 of the federal lawsuits, told the Associated Press that he believed there could be dozens of victims and that more lawsuits are likely to be filed. A trial date has not been set.

The allegations against Wisner were first revealed in the Court Order for Surrender. Wisner’s license was revoked for “inappropriate sexual comments, examinations, and the solicitation of sexual acts.” According to the court order, Wisner “used his position as a Physician Assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas to commit sexual battery crimes against patients.”

The allegations against Wisner date back to January 2014 when he was first charged with a sexual battery, a misdemeanor. “I am an impaired practitioner and not capable of patient care,” Wisner wrote to the Board of Healing Arts voluntarily surrendered his license in January 2015. “I will not nor find myself capable of any patient contact from the date of this letter.”

A hospital spokesperson told the Associated Press that the facility takes “very seriously the safety and well-being” of all its veteran patients.

A former physician assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VAMC, Mark E. Wisner, has been fired, stripped of his license, and faces multiple federal charges for sexual battery and sexual assault for conduct while he was employed at the facility. At least 7 cases were cited by the Board of Healing Arts of the State of Kansas in its Consent Order for Surrender.

A lawyer who represents plaintiffs in 2 of the federal lawsuits, told the Associated Press that he believed there could be dozens of victims and that more lawsuits are likely to be filed. A trial date has not been set.

The allegations against Wisner were first revealed in the Court Order for Surrender. Wisner’s license was revoked for “inappropriate sexual comments, examinations, and the solicitation of sexual acts.” According to the court order, Wisner “used his position as a Physician Assistant at the Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kansas to commit sexual battery crimes against patients.”

The allegations against Wisner date back to January 2014 when he was first charged with a sexual battery, a misdemeanor. “I am an impaired practitioner and not capable of patient care,” Wisner wrote to the Board of Healing Arts voluntarily surrendered his license in January 2015. “I will not nor find myself capable of any patient contact from the date of this letter.”

A hospital spokesperson told the Associated Press that the facility takes “very seriously the safety and well-being” of all its veteran patients.

The VA established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to help track and understand the long-term health effects of exposure to burn-pit smoke (from waste disposal) and other airborne hazards. Since its launch in 2014, nearly 61,000 veterans and service members have signed up. But that’s only a “small fraction” of the estimated 3 million who may be eligible, says Dr. Stephen Hunt, National Director of the VA’s Post-Deployment Integrated Care Initiative.

Hunt says the registry helps veterans in a number of ways. First, it gives veterans an opportunity to document any concerns they have about deployment-related exposures. It also provides an opportunity to obtain a free health evaluation by a VA or DoD provider. This evaluation can ensure ongoing follow-up for existing health conditions or any conditions that emerge “down the road.”

Participation is voluntary and free. It is not required to obtain disability compensation benefits, nor does the veteran need to be enrolled in the VA health care system. A Registry note in the medical record summarizing the veteran’s exposure concerns and related medical treatment can serve as evidence for a claim, but is not necessary to the claims process. The questionnaire is based on recollection of service, not the participant’s military record.

The Registry is open to anyone who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti (on or after Sept. 11, 2001), or Southeast Asia (after 1990). Signing up takes about 40 minutes, at https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry.

Reports on research findings so far from the Registry are available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp. Health care providers can find more information in the fact sheet available at www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/burn-pit-registry-fact-sheet.pdf#.

The VA established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to help track and understand the long-term health effects of exposure to burn-pit smoke (from waste disposal) and other airborne hazards. Since its launch in 2014, nearly 61,000 veterans and service members have signed up. But that’s only a “small fraction” of the estimated 3 million who may be eligible, says Dr. Stephen Hunt, National Director of the VA’s Post-Deployment Integrated Care Initiative.

Hunt says the registry helps veterans in a number of ways. First, it gives veterans an opportunity to document any concerns they have about deployment-related exposures. It also provides an opportunity to obtain a free health evaluation by a VA or DoD provider. This evaluation can ensure ongoing follow-up for existing health conditions or any conditions that emerge “down the road.”

Participation is voluntary and free. It is not required to obtain disability compensation benefits, nor does the veteran need to be enrolled in the VA health care system. A Registry note in the medical record summarizing the veteran’s exposure concerns and related medical treatment can serve as evidence for a claim, but is not necessary to the claims process. The questionnaire is based on recollection of service, not the participant’s military record.

The Registry is open to anyone who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti (on or after Sept. 11, 2001), or Southeast Asia (after 1990). Signing up takes about 40 minutes, at https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry.

Reports on research findings so far from the Registry are available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp. Health care providers can find more information in the fact sheet available at www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/burn-pit-registry-fact-sheet.pdf#.

The VA established the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to help track and understand the long-term health effects of exposure to burn-pit smoke (from waste disposal) and other airborne hazards. Since its launch in 2014, nearly 61,000 veterans and service members have signed up. But that’s only a “small fraction” of the estimated 3 million who may be eligible, says Dr. Stephen Hunt, National Director of the VA’s Post-Deployment Integrated Care Initiative.

Hunt says the registry helps veterans in a number of ways. First, it gives veterans an opportunity to document any concerns they have about deployment-related exposures. It also provides an opportunity to obtain a free health evaluation by a VA or DoD provider. This evaluation can ensure ongoing follow-up for existing health conditions or any conditions that emerge “down the road.”

Participation is voluntary and free. It is not required to obtain disability compensation benefits, nor does the veteran need to be enrolled in the VA health care system. A Registry note in the medical record summarizing the veteran’s exposure concerns and related medical treatment can serve as evidence for a claim, but is not necessary to the claims process. The questionnaire is based on recollection of service, not the participant’s military record.

The Registry is open to anyone who served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Djibouti (on or after Sept. 11, 2001), or Southeast Asia (after 1990). Signing up takes about 40 minutes, at https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry.

Reports on research findings so far from the Registry are available at www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp. Health care providers can find more information in the fact sheet available at www.publichealth.va.gov/docs/exposures/burn-pit-registry-fact-sheet.pdf#.

The U.S. has the “opportunity and responsibility” to lead the a global action against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to a new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The 2 diseases kill a million people globally and about 20,000 in the U.S.

The promise for HBV elimination rests on the success and efficacy of vaccines, which convey 95% immunity. According to the report, a combination of comprehensive disease surveillance, immunization registries, reduction of HBV infection stigma, and improved screening are all essential for HBV elimination. New research on reactivation, better vaccines, and a treatment to cure infection also will play significant roles..

While there is no vaccine for HCV, new therapies do offer a cure for the most patients. Still, ending HCV requires enacting a multipronged approach: ending transmission, eliminating chronic HCV, and reducing morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. Newer therapies have addressed some of these challenges, but cutting off HCV transmission remains an issue. In the U.S., people who inject drugs have the highest risk of transmitting the virus. “A strategy to stop transmission in this group should give attention to both reducing the risk of contracting HCV among people who are not infected and to reducing the likelihood of transmission,” the study authors argue.

“In making its conclusion regarding the feasibility of hepatitis B and C elimination, the committee acknowledges that considerable barriers must be overcome to meet these goals.” Still the report insists, HCV and HBV deaths can be averted. “Although an elimination goal is entirely feasible,” the report concludes, “it is not necessarily likely without considerable attention to the barriers discussed in this report.”

The U.S. has the “opportunity and responsibility” to lead the a global action against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to a new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The 2 diseases kill a million people globally and about 20,000 in the U.S.

The promise for HBV elimination rests on the success and efficacy of vaccines, which convey 95% immunity. According to the report, a combination of comprehensive disease surveillance, immunization registries, reduction of HBV infection stigma, and improved screening are all essential for HBV elimination. New research on reactivation, better vaccines, and a treatment to cure infection also will play significant roles..

While there is no vaccine for HCV, new therapies do offer a cure for the most patients. Still, ending HCV requires enacting a multipronged approach: ending transmission, eliminating chronic HCV, and reducing morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. Newer therapies have addressed some of these challenges, but cutting off HCV transmission remains an issue. In the U.S., people who inject drugs have the highest risk of transmitting the virus. “A strategy to stop transmission in this group should give attention to both reducing the risk of contracting HCV among people who are not infected and to reducing the likelihood of transmission,” the study authors argue.

“In making its conclusion regarding the feasibility of hepatitis B and C elimination, the committee acknowledges that considerable barriers must be overcome to meet these goals.” Still the report insists, HCV and HBV deaths can be averted. “Although an elimination goal is entirely feasible,” the report concludes, “it is not necessarily likely without considerable attention to the barriers discussed in this report.”

The U.S. has the “opportunity and responsibility” to lead the a global action against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), according to a new report published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The 2 diseases kill a million people globally and about 20,000 in the U.S.

The promise for HBV elimination rests on the success and efficacy of vaccines, which convey 95% immunity. According to the report, a combination of comprehensive disease surveillance, immunization registries, reduction of HBV infection stigma, and improved screening are all essential for HBV elimination. New research on reactivation, better vaccines, and a treatment to cure infection also will play significant roles..

While there is no vaccine for HCV, new therapies do offer a cure for the most patients. Still, ending HCV requires enacting a multipronged approach: ending transmission, eliminating chronic HCV, and reducing morbidity and mortality associated with the disease. Newer therapies have addressed some of these challenges, but cutting off HCV transmission remains an issue. In the U.S., people who inject drugs have the highest risk of transmitting the virus. “A strategy to stop transmission in this group should give attention to both reducing the risk of contracting HCV among people who are not infected and to reducing the likelihood of transmission,” the study authors argue.

“In making its conclusion regarding the feasibility of hepatitis B and C elimination, the committee acknowledges that considerable barriers must be overcome to meet these goals.” Still the report insists, HCV and HBV deaths can be averted. “Although an elimination goal is entirely feasible,” the report concludes, “it is not necessarily likely without considerable attention to the barriers discussed in this report.”

The goal: to improve access to resources, educational materials, information, and support for outpatients recovering from opioid misuse. The challenge: create a mobile application to be used as part of the comprehensive treatment plan.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) wants to spur developers to create a free, user-friendly app that could help patients manage their treatment regimens, prevent relapse by alerting patients to triggers for drug use, or help them access information about drug interactions and side effects on their smartphones.

SAMHSA is awarding over $30,000 in prizes,. Submissions are accepted through May 28, 2016. For more information, visit http://samhsaopioidrecoveryapp.devpost.com.

The goal: to improve access to resources, educational materials, information, and support for outpatients recovering from opioid misuse. The challenge: create a mobile application to be used as part of the comprehensive treatment plan.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) wants to spur developers to create a free, user-friendly app that could help patients manage their treatment regimens, prevent relapse by alerting patients to triggers for drug use, or help them access information about drug interactions and side effects on their smartphones.

SAMHSA is awarding over $30,000 in prizes,. Submissions are accepted through May 28, 2016. For more information, visit http://samhsaopioidrecoveryapp.devpost.com.

The goal: to improve access to resources, educational materials, information, and support for outpatients recovering from opioid misuse. The challenge: create a mobile application to be used as part of the comprehensive treatment plan.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) wants to spur developers to create a free, user-friendly app that could help patients manage their treatment regimens, prevent relapse by alerting patients to triggers for drug use, or help them access information about drug interactions and side effects on their smartphones.

SAMHSA is awarding over $30,000 in prizes,. Submissions are accepted through May 28, 2016. For more information, visit http://samhsaopioidrecoveryapp.devpost.com.

The VA is making changes aimed at improving the Veterans Crisis Line, said Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson.

For one, the Crisis Line will form a “stronger bond” with the VA’s Suicide Prevention Office and Mental Health Services, Gibson said. The Crisis Line also will be under the direction of the VA’s Member Services, which is restructuring portions of the VA that have direct contact with veterans. The plan is to give the Crisis Line staff more support by streamlining processes and putting more resources at their fingertips,. The structural changes build on key hires from last year, including a director with extensive clinical social work background. The VA has also committed to expanding staff— the Crisis Line currently has more than 300 employees—and improving phone systems and equipment to better handle demand.

“Last year, counselors at the Crisis Line dispatched emergency responders to intervene and save the lives of veterans in crisis more than 11,000 times,” Gibson said. “That means, on average, we’re stepping in to save 30 lives per day. “Nothing could be more important.”

The VA is making changes aimed at improving the Veterans Crisis Line, said Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson.

For one, the Crisis Line will form a “stronger bond” with the VA’s Suicide Prevention Office and Mental Health Services, Gibson said. The Crisis Line also will be under the direction of the VA’s Member Services, which is restructuring portions of the VA that have direct contact with veterans. The plan is to give the Crisis Line staff more support by streamlining processes and putting more resources at their fingertips,. The structural changes build on key hires from last year, including a director with extensive clinical social work background. The VA has also committed to expanding staff— the Crisis Line currently has more than 300 employees—and improving phone systems and equipment to better handle demand.

“Last year, counselors at the Crisis Line dispatched emergency responders to intervene and save the lives of veterans in crisis more than 11,000 times,” Gibson said. “That means, on average, we’re stepping in to save 30 lives per day. “Nothing could be more important.”

The VA is making changes aimed at improving the Veterans Crisis Line, said Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson.

For one, the Crisis Line will form a “stronger bond” with the VA’s Suicide Prevention Office and Mental Health Services, Gibson said. The Crisis Line also will be under the direction of the VA’s Member Services, which is restructuring portions of the VA that have direct contact with veterans. The plan is to give the Crisis Line staff more support by streamlining processes and putting more resources at their fingertips,. The structural changes build on key hires from last year, including a director with extensive clinical social work background. The VA has also committed to expanding staff— the Crisis Line currently has more than 300 employees—and improving phone systems and equipment to better handle demand.

“Last year, counselors at the Crisis Line dispatched emergency responders to intervene and save the lives of veterans in crisis more than 11,000 times,” Gibson said. “That means, on average, we’re stepping in to save 30 lives per day. “Nothing could be more important.”

There’s some good news in the battle against “superbugs” in acute care hospitals. For example, central line–associated bloodstream infections were down 50% and surgical site infections declined 17% between 2008 and 2014. Plus, some “progress” toward reducing in catheter-associated urinary tract infections was seen between 2009 and 2014. Hospital-onset infections caused by Clostridium difficile, the most common bacteria responsible for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), dropped by 8% between 2011 and 2014.

However, “antibiotic-resistant HAIs are a threat to all patients,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In its Vital Signs report, the CDC lists 6 bacteria that are among the “most deadly”: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (extended-spectrum β-lactamases), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter. Those bacteria cause 1 in 7 catheter- and surgery-related HAIs in acute care hospitals, and 1 in 4 infections in long-term acute care hospitals.

“Doctors and health care facilities have the power to protect patients—no one should get sick while trying to get well,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. The CDC’s report calls on health care professionals to continue prevention efforts. “For clinicians, prevention means isolating patients when necessary,” said Clifford McDonald, MD, associate director for science at CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. The Vital Signs report advises being aware of antibiotic resistance patterns in facilities, following recommendations for preventing infections, and prescribing antibiotics correctly (including reassessing and stopping appropriately). It also urges health care facility CEOs and administrators to establish a stewardship program and enroll their hospitals to submit data to the CDC’s Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Module to target improvements (www.cdc.gov/nhsn/acute-care-hospital/aur/index.html).

Along with the annual progress report, the CDC has released the Antibiotic Resistance Patient Safety Atlas (www.cdc.gov/hai/surveillance/ar-patient-safety-atlas.html), a new web app with interactive data on HAIs. National, regional, and state maps show the percentage of resistance over time using data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network by more than 4,000 health care facilities.

There’s some good news in the battle against “superbugs” in acute care hospitals. For example, central line–associated bloodstream infections were down 50% and surgical site infections declined 17% between 2008 and 2014. Plus, some “progress” toward reducing in catheter-associated urinary tract infections was seen between 2009 and 2014. Hospital-onset infections caused by Clostridium difficile, the most common bacteria responsible for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), dropped by 8% between 2011 and 2014.

However, “antibiotic-resistant HAIs are a threat to all patients,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In its Vital Signs report, the CDC lists 6 bacteria that are among the “most deadly”: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (extended-spectrum β-lactamases), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter. Those bacteria cause 1 in 7 catheter- and surgery-related HAIs in acute care hospitals, and 1 in 4 infections in long-term acute care hospitals.

“Doctors and health care facilities have the power to protect patients—no one should get sick while trying to get well,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. The CDC’s report calls on health care professionals to continue prevention efforts. “For clinicians, prevention means isolating patients when necessary,” said Clifford McDonald, MD, associate director for science at CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. The Vital Signs report advises being aware of antibiotic resistance patterns in facilities, following recommendations for preventing infections, and prescribing antibiotics correctly (including reassessing and stopping appropriately). It also urges health care facility CEOs and administrators to establish a stewardship program and enroll their hospitals to submit data to the CDC’s Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Module to target improvements (www.cdc.gov/nhsn/acute-care-hospital/aur/index.html).

Along with the annual progress report, the CDC has released the Antibiotic Resistance Patient Safety Atlas (www.cdc.gov/hai/surveillance/ar-patient-safety-atlas.html), a new web app with interactive data on HAIs. National, regional, and state maps show the percentage of resistance over time using data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network by more than 4,000 health care facilities.

There’s some good news in the battle against “superbugs” in acute care hospitals. For example, central line–associated bloodstream infections were down 50% and surgical site infections declined 17% between 2008 and 2014. Plus, some “progress” toward reducing in catheter-associated urinary tract infections was seen between 2009 and 2014. Hospital-onset infections caused by Clostridium difficile, the most common bacteria responsible for hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), dropped by 8% between 2011 and 2014.

However, “antibiotic-resistant HAIs are a threat to all patients,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In its Vital Signs report, the CDC lists 6 bacteria that are among the “most deadly”: carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (extended-spectrum β-lactamases), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter. Those bacteria cause 1 in 7 catheter- and surgery-related HAIs in acute care hospitals, and 1 in 4 infections in long-term acute care hospitals.

“Doctors and health care facilities have the power to protect patients—no one should get sick while trying to get well,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, MD, MPH. The CDC’s report calls on health care professionals to continue prevention efforts. “For clinicians, prevention means isolating patients when necessary,” said Clifford McDonald, MD, associate director for science at CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion. The Vital Signs report advises being aware of antibiotic resistance patterns in facilities, following recommendations for preventing infections, and prescribing antibiotics correctly (including reassessing and stopping appropriately). It also urges health care facility CEOs and administrators to establish a stewardship program and enroll their hospitals to submit data to the CDC’s Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Module to target improvements (www.cdc.gov/nhsn/acute-care-hospital/aur/index.html).

Along with the annual progress report, the CDC has released the Antibiotic Resistance Patient Safety Atlas (www.cdc.gov/hai/surveillance/ar-patient-safety-atlas.html), a new web app with interactive data on HAIs. National, regional, and state maps show the percentage of resistance over time using data reported to the National Healthcare Safety Network by more than 4,000 health care facilities.