Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging
The major focus of the primary VETSA project is to elucidate factors affecting cognitive aging starting in midlife. To that end, it seeks to understand aging processes by clarifying the relationships between cognition, health, personality, and psychosocial factors, and by quantifying the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors in these major domains of adult development and aging.
Overview
- Acronym
- VETSA
- Website
- VETSA
- Investigators
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- Contacts
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General Design
- Study design
- Cohort
- Start - End Year
- 2003 -
- General Information on Follow Up (profile, frequency)
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The study design calls for follow-up every 5 years. The first follow-up (VETSA 2) was conducted 2009-2013: 1014/1237 twins participated in the follow-up. VETSA 2 also assessed 247 attrition replacements (ages 51 to 65). VETSA 3 follow-up is scheduled to start in Fall 2015.
- Recruitment Target
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- Families
- Number of Participants
- 1,237
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,237
- Supplementary information about number of participants
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Biological samples were collected from the attrition replacement participants
- Supplementary Information
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Data are collected at an individual level for each twin.
Access
Availability of data and biosamples
| Possible Access to Data | |
| Possible Access to Biosamples | |
| Other |
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VETSA 2 data are not yet publicly available—contact the PIs
Marker Paper
Kremen WS, Thompson-Brenner H, Leung YM, Grant MD, Franz CE, Eisen SA, Jacobson KC, Boake C, Lyons MJ. Genes, environment, and time: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). 2006; 9(6): 1009-22.
PUBMED 17254445Supplementary Information
DNA has already been extracted; biological samples are only available through the VETR, per registry guidelines.
Kremen, W. S., Franz, C. E., & Lyons, M. J. (2013a). VETSA: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging. Twin Res Hum Genet, 16(1), 399-402. PMID: 23110957
Kremen, W. S., Franz, C. E., & Lyons, M. J. (2013b). VETSA: the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging - ADDENDUM. Twin Res Hum Genet, 16(1), 403. PMID: 23394194
Timeline
Population
VETSA participants are members of male-male twin pairs (both monozygotic and dizygotic) ranging in age from 51 to 60 years (birth year between 1943 and 1954) at the baseline assessment. These twins are all members of the VET Registry and both served in the American military between 1965-1975. Only men are in the VET Registry. Data include questionnaires, in-person cognitive testing, medical history and health functioning. Subsets of the sample participated in the VETSA MRI longitudinal studies (depending on eligibility for scanning N=515 at baseline) in which structural MRI data were procured; and in the VETSA Neuroendocrine study (2004--2008) in which cortisol, DHEAS, and testosterone were assayed and detailed logs kept (N=783). The VETSA 2 follow-up paralleled the VETSA 1 data collection but did not include neuroendocrine data.
Selection Criteria
- Gender
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Men only
- Minimum age
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51
- Maximum age
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60
- Countries
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- United States of America
- Ethnic Origin
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- Primarily non-Hispanic White
- Health Status
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- Good health
- Other Criteria
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At baseline, must be age 51-60 when recruited and both twins agreed to participate.
Sources of Recruitment
- Specific Population
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Other specific population :
Middle aged twins
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Other specific population :
Sample Size
- Number of Participants
- 1,237
- Number of Participants with Biological Samples
- 1,237
- Supplementary Information about selection criteria
-
VETSA 1/baseline: 1237 participants
VETSA 2: 1014 follow-up of VETSA 1 participants; 247 attrition replacements
VETSA Cortisol/Neuroendocrine study (Subset of VETSA 1): 783 participants who also have complete data from VETSA 1 baseline
VETSA MRI 1: (subset of VETSA 1) 515 participants who also have complete data from VETSA 1 baseline
VETSA MRI 2: xxx follow-up participants plus attrition replacements; all have VETSA 2 cognitive and questionnaire data
Data Collection Events
| # | Name | Data sources | Data sources - Biosamples | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | VETSA - Baseline |
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2002 | 2008 |
| 1 | VETSA - First follow-up |
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2009 | 2013 |
Participating Studies
| Acronym | Name | Study design | Countries |
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Harmonization Initiatives Included
| Acronym | Name |
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Datasets
| Name | Data Collection Events | Variables |
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Areas of Information Collected
- Socio-demographic and economic characteristics
- Death
- Lifestyle and behaviours
- Physical measures and assessments
- Birth, pregnancy and reproductive health history
- Laboratory measures
- Perception of health, quality of life, development and functional limitations
- Cognition, personality and psychological measures and assessments
- Diseases
- Life events, life plans, beliefs and values
- Symptoms and signs
- Preschool, school and work life
- Medication and supplements
- Social environment and relationships
- Non-pharmacological interventions
- Physical environment
- Health and community care services utilization
- Administrative information
Variables Content Summary
Areas of Information Collected
Areas of Information Collected per per Population and Data Collection Event
Networks
| Acronym | Name | Harmonization Initiatives | Individual Studies |
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