Physical Well-Being

WASHINGTON — Researchers with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found for the first time that enough evidence exists to link hypertension to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War.

The finding, announced Thursday, bolsters the case for veterans with hypertension to be granted easier access to Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, advocates argued. Before last week’s announcement, researchers had determined there was only “limited” or “suggestive” evidence hypertension could be caused by chemical herbicides used in Vietnam.

Gulf War veterans with unexplained illnesses that cause fatigue, headaches, respiratory disorders and memory problems can improve their balance with a device developed by Rutgers University researchers.

The study is the first to examine how Gulf War illnesses affect veterans' vestibular systems, which are integral for balance, memory and brain blood flow.

The findings are being presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience this week.

Getting adequate sleep is increasingly rare among the active duty military population, as frequent deviations from the body’s natural circadian rhythms due to a demanding operational tempo pit personnel in an ongoing struggle against the ever-persistent sandman.

To combat the sleep deprivation unique to this demographic, service members often turn to energy drinks, a prominent component of combat deployments that has become as paramount to mission success as any piece of protective gear or weaponry.

A study published in Family Practice indicates that healthcare providers outside of the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department are uncertain how to address veterans' needs. The study says that this is due to limited knowledge of resources and coordination problems.