VA Research Wrap Up: New findings on suicide risk and dementia

This week, VA’s Office of Research and Development published three News Briefs highlighting research advances in understanding Veterans’ suicide risk and dementia.

Physical activity reduces suicide risk

VA researchers from Durham, Salt Lake City and Connecticut found that Veterans who were engaged in higher physical activity had lower odds of suicidal ideations and less risk for suicidal behavior. The researchers collected data from a national sample of almost 1,100 deployed and non-deployed Gulf War-era Veterans. Half of the Veterans reported they engaged in at least 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week. Of these Veterans, 12% reported experiencing suicidal ideations in the past year, compared to almost 25% of less-active Veterans. Analysis showed the connection between physical activity and suicide risk was independent of other factors such as pain, depression and PTSD. The results suggest physical activity is an important and modifiable predictor of suicide risk. View the full study from the “American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine.”

Veterans without honorable discharge have more suicide risk

VA researchers from Seattle and Canandaigua, New York, showed that Veterans who did not receive an honorable discharge from service were more than twice as likely to die from suicide within five years of discharge as Veterans who were honorably discharged. The researchers examined data on more than 3.6 million Veterans discharged from the military between 2002 and 2021, finding 5,599 deaths by suicide. Dishonorable, bad conduct, other than honorable, general or uncharacterized discharges were all significantly linked to an elevated risk of suicide. The highest suicide rate was in those with a general discharge, who had a nearly three-times higher rate than those with an honorable discharge. More than 80% of service members receive an honorable discharge. The findings suggest that character of discharge may be a helpful risk factor to consider for suicide prevention efforts. View the full study from “JAMA Network Open.”

Incidences of dementia can vary by region

San Francisco VA researchers discovered that dementia risk in older Veterans varies by region across the country. The Mid-Atlantic region of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., had the lowest incidences of dementia. In contrast, the Southeast states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi had the highest. The researchers followed more than 1.2 million Veterans aged 65 and older who did not originally have a dementia diagnosis for approximately 13 years. Significant regional differences persisted after accounting for other dementia risk factors, such as demographics, rurality and cardiovascular conditions. The researchers suggested region-specific factors such as education level, access to health care, differences in lifestyle patterns or other chronic illness rates might play a part in the differences. The findings highlight the need for targeted health care planning and public health services based on regional differences to help address dementia risk. View the full study from “JAMA Neurology.”

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