Postservice Mortality in Vietnam Veterans

Abstract

During the 1980s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted the Vietnam Experience Study (VES) to examine the long-term health effects of military service in Vietnam through (1) an assessment of postservice mortality, (2) a detailed health interview, and (3) a comprehensive medical, psychological, and laboratory evaluation. Reports from the VES have been published,^1-3 including findings from the postservice mortality component.^4,5 The Vietnam experience included a wide array of possible health-influencing factors, such as exposure to psychological stressors associated with war and combat, infectious diseases prevalent in Vietnam, pesticides and herbicides, and misuse of drugs and alcohol.⁵