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The Vietnam Era Twin Registry
Jack Goldberg1, Birute Curran, Mary Ellen Vitek
1VET Registry, Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center, Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108-1597, USA.
Summary
The Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry supports genetic studies on veteran health. This large registry aids research into mental and physical conditions affecting Vietnam service members.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Genetics
- Veterans Health
Background:
- The Vietnam Era Twin (VET) Registry comprises 7369 male-male twin pairs who served during the Vietnam conflict (1965-1975).
- Established by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, it is one of the largest national twin registries, operating for over 15 years.
- Initially focused on Vietnam service health effects, it now supports genetic epidemiology research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the management and administration of the VET Registry.
- To highlight its evolution as a resource for genetic epidemiologic studies.
- To outline data collection methods and future initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Database maintenance and study coordination processes are detailed.
- Multiple waves of mail and telephone surveys have gathered extensive health data.
- Recent efforts include targeted clinical and laboratory testing on specific twin cohorts.
Main Results:
- The registry has collected substantial health-related information through various survey waves.
- Ongoing data collection focuses on detailed clinical and laboratory assessments.
- The registry has expanded its reach, with subjects in all 50 states.
Conclusions:
- The VET Registry is a valuable, evolving resource for studying the genetic epidemiology of health conditions in Vietnam-era veterans.
- Future plans include developing a website and a DNA repository to further enhance research capabilities.
- The registry's infrastructure supports diverse longitudinal and genetic research on veteran health.