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VA New England Healthcare System

 

The Million Veteran Program Enlists 350,000th Recruit

The Million Veteran Program Enlists 350,000th Recruit

The Million Veteran Program Enlists 350,000th Recruit

BOSTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research & Development’s Million Veteran Program (MVP) recently enrolled its 350,000th volunteer into a research program that seeks to register one million Veterans, to become the largest study of genes and health in the world.

This genetic research program is a partnership between the VA and Veterans, to gain a better understanding of how genes affect health and illness in order to improve health care, not only for themselves, but also for future generations of Veterans.

The data collected in this program will be an important and valuable resource for researchers as they learn more about the relationship between genes and common diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease, along with military-related illnesses such as PTSD. Such findings may help answer questions as to why some treatment may work well for some Veterans but not for others, and why some may be at a greater risk for developing an illness.

The program expects to enroll one million Veterans over the next several years. To do this, MVP has established one of the largest genetic and health databases, including information about military exposure, lifestyle, and health.

This database, combined with information collected from the VA Electronic Medical Record (EMR), will help investigators determine how genetic and lifestyle factors interact to affect health outcomes.

“Unlike other health care systems, our patients share a common bond that unites and empowers them to help each other. This aspect of the program could be the key to reaching one million volunteers,” said J. Michael Gaziano, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator, Million Veteran program, based at VA Boston Healthcare System.

“The Veterans who enroll have already served our country, and now they’re serving other Veterans and the entire population by volunteering for the program,” said John Concato, M.D., M.P.H., principal investigator, Million Veteran Program, based at VA Connecticut Healthcare System.

Mons S. Sjaastad"Knowing that I would be helping other GI's is the reason I am part of the Million Veteran Program,” said Mons S. Sjaastad, a Korean War Era U.S. Army Veteran who enrolled in MVP at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System.

The 350,000th Veteran was enrolled in MVP by the staff at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle, Washington.

Participation in MVP is voluntary and will not in any way affect Veterans' access to health care or benefits. Many Veterans enroll simply because they want to help improve health care for other Veterans.

Many VA medical centers have staff members that can enroll Veterans before or after regularly scheduled appointments.

To learn more about MVP or find an enrolling facility near you, Veterans can call toll-free 866-441-6075 or visit www.research.va.gov/MVP