John Plahovinsak
The Million Veterans Program (MVP) was launched by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 2011. It was a national research program examining how genes, lifestyles, military experiences, and exposures affect veterans’ health and wellness.
On November 15, 2023, veteran number one (1) million joined the VA’s largest health research effort. This was the first VA research program to reach a recruiting milestone this large and one of the most diverse research programs in the world!
According to the VA, veterans across race, gender, age, and service branch came together for one mission: to advance veteran physical and mental health care. The goal of the MVP research is to help find new ways to detect, prevent and treat health conditions that matter to veterans.
As of September 30, 2023, there are over 100 projects with access to MVP data for genomic and epidemiological studies, with over 350 publications in journals. The VA goal is that research findings from MVP data will someday help bring personalized medicine to the forefront of VA health care for veterans.
On June 27, 2024, the VA published an update on the MVP findings of their brain health research and the future of veteran mental health care.
One of the latest brain health research findings utilizing MVP data is that Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and the APOE gene variants are linked with increased risk for Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementia.
Also, there is an established link between Type 2 Diabetes and dementia in non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black populations. Changes in brain structure and function may lead to or affect anxiety.
In terms of TBI, researchers have found that TBI treatment may benefit some veterans even if they do not have a formal diagnosis. And veterans with a history of TBI have significantly higher rates of experiencing other medical issues, particularly mental health, and neurological conditions.
There is an established link between brain health, physical health, and mental health, meaning that brain health can have a significant impact on a veteran’s quality of life. MVP researchers are studying these linkages.
The detailed MVP studies deal with cancers, diabetes, tinnitus, and other related veteran illnesses that negatively impact both mental and physical health conditions.
Mental Health Awareness Month was in May, and the MVP researchers acknowledge that mental health is a combination of several different factors. The veterans who are currently participating in the MVP help researchers study those factors to find ways to improve mental health care.
For example, researchers are using information from the MVP to study PTSD, suicide prevention, depression, anxiety, substance use, and other mental health conditions.
This specific research helps the VA to understand more about mental health conditions, which could lead to improved screenings, preventions, interventions, and treatments for veterans.
The VA’s concept of “Whole Health” means supporting the veteran’s health and well-being by focusing on “what matters to the veteran” rather than on “what’s the matter with the veteran.” The “what matters” may be different for each veteran, which is why the MVP encourages veterans from all backgrounds or conditions to participate.
The VA is still seeking veterans to participate in the MVP. Veterans do not need to be enrolled or receive services at the VA. If they are interested and want more MVP information or to make an appointment to participate, they should call (866) 441-6045.
My Opinion: I joined the Million Veterans Program during a Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Nation Convention in Denver, Colorado. The VA had a booth at the convention hotel and the enrollment process took less than eight (8) minutes. For enrolling, I received an MVP pin from the nurse.
For over a decade, I never really thought about the MVP and what was transpiring with the data collected. I was never contacted to participate in any specialized MVP studies.
However, when I heard that the MVP had achieved its goal of one million veterans participating, I decided to investigate what the MVP researchers have been doing since 2011 when the program started.
The MVP researchers have made findings in several areas, such as PTSD; Brain Health; Substance Abuse; Heart Health, and Cancer fields.
For example, with PTSD, “the likelihood of experiencing PTSD can be inherited, meaning PTSD is a disease that can be passed down from one generation to the next.”
For Substance Abuse, researchers found genes linked to opioid use disorder (OUD) that are related to other psychiatric disorders. “This means OUD could be a brain disease, which may reduce the stigma and help find new ways to address the opioid epidemic.”
For Cancer, MVP researchers “learned that a genetic screening test can accurately predict breast cancer risk in women veterans” and “discovered that another genetic screening test can help predict prostate cancer in male Veterans from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds.”
For Heart Health, researchers “discovered three gene mutations that protect against different types of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Veterans in MVP with these mutations had better cholesterol and triglyceride levels.”
The Million Veterans Program is producing dividends and with a research population bank of one million veterans. These findings and results are meaningful. The end goal of the MVP, to new ways to detect, prevent, and treat health conditions that matter to veterans, is being accomplished!
BioSketch: John Plahovinsak is a 32-year retired Army veteran, who served from 1967 to 1999. He is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Department of Ohio Hospital Chairman. He can be contacted at plahovinsak@msn.com.
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