VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on suicide prevention, diabetes and ALS

VA’s Office of Research and Development recently published three News Briefs highlighting research findings on improving the suicide prevention, diabetic foot ulcers and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) care.

Remote sleep monitoring could help predict suicidal thoughts

VA National Center for PTSD and VA Palo Alto researchers and their colleagues demonstrated that remote sleep monitoring has the potential to help predict suicidal ideations in Veterans with PTSD.

Seventy-five Veterans with PTSD were mailed a mattress sensor system to measure their sleep habits, movements and biometrics. After a telephone-guided set-up, participants no longer needed to directly interact with the measurement system as data was automatically uploaded nightly, with researchers conducting weekly telephone assessments of mental health and suicidal ideation. Over an average of 55 days, Veterans at high risk for suicide went to bed an average of 63 minutes earlier than low-risk participants. Shorter sleep periods were also associated with increased suicidal ideations.

The results highlight the connection between sleep quality and mental health, and show how low-cost sleep monitoring could help predict spikes of suicidal tendencies with no additional burden to the Veteran. View the full study from the “Journal of Affective Disorder.”

Folinic acid improves healing in diabetic foot ulcers

In a pilot study, Richmond and Central Arkansas VA researchers showed that folinic acid, a vitamin used to decrease the toxic effects of cancer medications, may also improve the healing of diabetic foot ulcers.

After 12 weeks, patients treated with topical folinic acid had a 48% greater reduction of diabetic foot ulcer wound area, compared to a placebo group. Analysis showed folinic acid reduces pro-inflammatory gene expression and increases anti-inflammatory gene expression, potentially allowing tissue to more quickly move from an inflamed state to active wound repair.

The findings suggest not only that folinic acid could be a useful treatment for diabetic foot ulcers but also that it could help with other type 2 diabetes complications involving inflammation. View the full study in “Wound Repair and Regeneration.”

ALS treatment satisfaction higher in VA

A nationwide survey of Veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) indicated that Veterans receiving care exclusively from VA were more satisfied with their care than those receiving care from both VA and non-VA sources or those receiving only non-VA care.

VA-only care scored higher in symptom management, reduced barriers to care, education and more. Veterans who were treated at a VA ALS Center of Excellence with an interdisciplinary team reported the highest satisfaction. About 62% of Veterans surveyed chose to receive care exclusively at VA facilities. Survey respondents did indicate areas for improvement, such as education on genetic testing and better management on non-motor symptoms. The results suggest VA’s ALS treatment approach could serve as a model for other large health care systems. View the full study in “Muscle & Nerve.”

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