VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on diabetes, kidney injury and dementia

This week, VA’s Office of Research and Development published three News Briefs highlighting research advances on a potential new drug to treat diabetes, preventing acute kidney injury and lowering the risk of dementia.

VA researchers develop potential new diabetes drug

VA researchers in Tampa, Florida, created a compound with potential to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus. Previous work by the research team showed expression of a gene called GAS5 is decreased in people with diabetes, and low GAS5 levels impair glucose uptake and inhibit insulin signaling. The researchers developed a molecular compound, NPC86, that stabilizes GAS5 expression. In mouse models of diabetes, NPC86 increased GAS5 levels and improved insulin regulation without any adverse effects on the mice. The results show NPC86 can improve metabolic balance, meaning it could be developed into a new medication to treat diabetes. View the full study from the “International Journal of Molecular Sciences.”

Coaching intervention improved patient outcomes after cardiac procedure

A study involving 20 VA medical centers proved team-based coaching can reduce the risk of acute kidney injury by 40% during the 18 months after cardiac catheterization. Cardiac catheterization is a procedure in which a flexible tube is inserted through the blood vessels to allow doctors to visualize the heart’s structure and blood flow, but the contrast dye used in this procedure can sometimes cause kidney damage. Medical teams received a one‐time intervention called Improve Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), designed to minimize this damage risk. The intervention is a toolkit of standardized medical orders, with increased intravenous and oral fluids and reduced contrast volume. Providing team-based coaching and technical assistance on how to use the intervention coupled with automated surveillance-reporting dashboards significantly improved patient outcomes. The researchers found strong leadership, sufficient staff resources and strong team coordination went a long way toward maintaining positive patient outcomes over time. View the full study from the “Journal of the American Heart Association.”

A life purpose can slow dementia

Researchers from the Atlanta VA and the University of California at Davis learned a higher sense of purpose in life is associated with a 28% lower risk of developing cognitive impairment and can delay onset of cognitive issues. The researchers followed a sample of almost 14,000 people over age 45 for up to 15 years, measuring their cognitive status over time. A higher sense of purpose in life, measured through a questionnaire, was associated with reduced hazard for cognitive impairment and later onset even after accounting for age, sex, education, depression, race/ethnicity and genetics. The study defined a purpose in life as the value a person places on their life, the perception of goodness in their life, the ability to create and achieve personal goals, and a prepared and unafraid attitude about death. The findings suggest fostering a sense of life purpose has the potential to reduce cognitive impairment and dementia risk. View the full study from the “American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.”

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