IOM Topic: Veterans Health

Meeting 1: Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update)

5/25/2012

The first meeting of the Committee to Review the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update).

Review of the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Ninth Biennial Update)

5/23/2012

The IOM will undertake an updated review and evaluation of the available scientific evidence regarding the statistical association between exposure to dioxin and other chemicals in the herbicides used in Vietnam and various adverse health outcomes.

Air Force Health Study (Ranch Hand) Research Assets - Announcement of availability for analysis

4/30/2012

In 1979, the US Congress directed that epidemiologic study be conducted to evaluate the frequency and nature of adverse health effects that might be related to exposure to “Agent Orange” and other military herbicide used during the Vietnam Conflict. The effort—formally called the Air Force Health Study (AFHS) and informally refered to as the Ranch Hand Study—involved Operation Ranch Hand veterans and a comparison group of Air Force personnel who served in southeast Asia but who were not involved in herbicide spraying operations.

After the Study concluded, the Congress directed that its research assets be transferred to the custodianship of the Institute of Medicine (IOM). A later Public Law (110-389) instructed the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to work with the IOM to make the AFHS assets available to scientific investigators for scientifically peer reviewed pilot and other research studies.

Gulf War and Health: Treatment of Chronic Multisymptom Illness--Public Session 3

4/17/2012

The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee on Gulf War and Health: Treatment of Chronic Multisymptom Illness held a public meeting on April 12, 2012. The committee is comprehensively evaluating available information regarding the best treatments for chronic multisymptom illness among Gulf War Veterans.

Meeting 2: Committee on Gulf War and Health: Treatment of Chronic Multisymptom Illness

3/9/2012

The Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Committee on Gulf War and Health: Treatment of Chronic Multisymptom Illness will hold a public meeting on February 29, 2012. The committee is comprehensively evaluating available information regarding the best treatments for chronic multisymptom illness among Gulf War Veterans. The meeting will consist of a series of presentations from physicians and researchers on a variety of treatment-related topics.

"Like" the IOM on Facebook

3/6/2012

For every new "like" on the IOM's Facebook page, a donor will contribute $1 toward improving the nation's health, up to $5,000.

What You're Reading - February 2012

3/1/2012

A list of the most viewed IOM reports for the month of February, 2012.

Committee on Shipboard Hazard and Defense II: February 2012

2/17/2012

The Committee on Shipboard Hazard and Defense II will hold its second meeting on February 23-24, 2012, in Sacramento, California. In its open session on February 23, the committee will hear testimony from Congressman Mike Thompson, SHAD veterans, and other interested parties. There will be an opportunity for public comments at the end of the day.

Shipboard Hazard and Defense II (SHAD II)

2/6/2012

The IOM's Medical Follow-up Agency will conduct an epidemiological study comparing the health status of the SHAD veterans with non-SHAD veterans deployed at the same time. This study will build on knowledge gained from a prior study conducted between 2003 and 2007. If the results of this SHAD II study indicate a difference in outcome between the SHAD participants and the comparison population, or if the study finds new information that would warrant new research avenues, new research may be needed.

Committee On Shipboard Hazard and Defense II: January 2012

2/3/2012

The Committee on Shipboard Hazard and Defense II will hold its first meeting on January 19-20, 2012, in Washington, DC. In its open session on the afternoon of January 19, committee will hear invited presentations from SHAD veterans, Congressional staff, and representatives of VA and DoD and interested Veterans Service Organizations. There will be an opportunity for brief comments from the public.

What You're Reading - January 2012

2/1/2012

A list of the most viewed IOM reports for the month of January, 2012.

What You're Reading - December 2011

2/1/2012

A list of the most viewed IOM reports for the month of December, 2011.

Evidence Points to Potential Roles for Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy In Treating Traumatic Brain Injury but Further Research Needed

1/27/2012

There is some evidence about the potential value of cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT) for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI), but overall it is not sufficient to develop definitive guidelines on how to apply these therapies and to determine which type of CRT will work best for a particular patient, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy for Traumatic Brain Injury: Evaluating the Evidence

1/27/2012

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) may affect 10 million people worldwide. It is considered the “signature wound” of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. These injuries result from a bump or blow to the head, or from external forces that cause the brain to move within the head, such as whiplash or exposure to blasts. TBI can cause an array of physical and mental health concerns and is a growing problem, particularly among soldiers and veterans because of repeated exposure to violent environments. One form of treatment for TBI is cognitive rehabilitation therapy (CRT), a patient-specific, goal-oriented approach to help patients increase their ability to process and interpret information. The Department of Defense asked the IOM to conduct a study to determine the effectiveness of CRT for treatment of TBI.

Veterans and Agent Orange: Update 2010

1/27/2012

Because of continuing uncertainty about the long-term health effects of the sprayed herbicides on Vietnam veterans, Congress passed the Agent Orange Act of 1991. The legislation directed the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to request the IOM to perform a comprehensive evaluation of scientific and medical information regarding the health effects of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam to be followed by biennial updates. The 2010 update recommends further research of links between Vietnam service and specific health outcomes, most importantly COPD, tonsil cancer, melanoma, brain cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and paternally transmitted effects to offspring. The only modification made in this update to disease entries in the categories of association is the notation that early-onset peripheral neuropathy (a condition which has been recognized since Update 1996 as having limited or suggestive evidence of an association with herbicide exposure and must have developed within a year of exposure) is not necessarily transitory.

Evidence Inconclusive About Long-Term Health Effects of Exposure to Military Burn Pits

1/27/2012

Insufficient data on service members' exposures to emissions from open-air burn pits for trash on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan is one of the reasons why it is not possible to say whether these emissions could cause long-term health effects, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. High background levels of ambient pollution from other sources and lack of information on the quantities and composition of wastes burned in the pits also complicate interpretation of the data.

Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure to Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan

1/27/2012

Many veterans returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have health problems they believe are related to their exposure to the smoke from the burning of waste in open-air “burn pits” on military bases. Particular controversy surrounds the burn pit used to dispose of solid waste at Joint Base Balad in Iraq, which burned up to 200 tons of waste per day in 2007. The Department of Veterans Affairs asked the IOM to form a committee to determine the long-term health effects from exposure to these burn pits. Insufficient evidence prevented the IOM committee from developing firm conclusions. This report, therefore, recommends that, along with more efficient data-gathering methods, a study be conducted that would evaluate the health status of service members from their time of deployment over many years to determine their incidence of chronic diseases.

Key Reports in 2011

1/27/2012

Key Reports in 2011

Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Substance Use Disorders in the U.S. Armed Forces: November 2011

1/27/2012

Meeting 4 of the Committee on Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Substance Use Disorders in the U.S. Armed Forces will be held on 11/16/2011

Burn Pits and Health Consequences – IOM Report Release Oct. 31

1/27/2012

A significant percentage of military personnel returning from Iraq and Afghanistan were exposed to open air pits in which large quantities of wastes were burned on military bases, including Joint Base Balad, a large, central logistics hub for U.S. forces in Iraq. Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure to Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new report by the Institute of Medicine, assesses what conclusions can be drawn from available evidence about the risk for health consequences for service members who came into proximity of these waste disposal pits.

Final Report Briefing to the Public

1/27/2012

The final report of Long-Term Health Consequences of Exposure to Burn Pits in Iraq and Afghanistan will be released to the public on Monday, October 31, 2011 at 11 a.m. and will be followed by a public briefing at 2 p.m. on the same day.

Assessment of Ongoing Efforts in the Treatment of PTSD: November 2011

1/27/2012

PTSD Treatment Meeting #5 November 14-15, 2011: Closed Sessions

Assessment of Ongoing Efforts in the Treatment of PTSD: Janurary 2012

1/27/2012

Sixth meeting of PTSD Treatment committee

Meeting with Center for Mind Body Medicine

1/27/2012

Meeting with CMBM

Assessment of Ongoing Efforts in the Treatment of PTSD: September 2011

1/27/2012

Fourth session of the Committee on the Assessment of Ongoing Efforts in the Treatment of PTSD

Gulf War and Health: Treatment of Chronic Multisymptom Illness

1/27/2012

The IOM will convene a committee to comprehensively review, evaluate, and summarize the available scientific and medical literature regarding the best treatments for chronic multisymptom illness among Gulf War Veterans.

Cohort Catalog

1/5/2012

The Cohort Catalog describes a remarkable collection of study populations of former military personnel assembled as part of proposed or completed research dating back to the 1940's.

Studies of U.S. Veteran Twins

1/4/2012

In 1958, the Medical Follow-up Agency began a project to identify white male twins who had jointly entered military service during World War II. In the end, MFUA identified nearly 16,000 twin pairs in which both members had served in the military.

What You Read 2011

12/29/2011

A list of the most viewed IOM reports for the year 2011.

Review of the Health Effects in Vietnam Veterans of Exposure to Herbicides (Eighth) Biennial Update

12/27/2011

This study will prepare an updated review and evaluation of the available scientific evidence regarding the statistical association between exposure to dioxin or to the herbicides used in Vietnam and various adverse health outcomes.