Telomere Shortening and Accelerated Aging in US Military Veterans.

A growing body of literature on military personnel and veterans' health suggests that prior military service may be associated with exposures that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), which may differ by race/ethnicity. This study examined the hypothesis that differential telomere shortening, a measure of cellular aging, by race/ethnicity may explain prior findings of differential CVD risk in racial/ethnic groups with military service. Data from the first two continuous waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), administered from 1999-2002 were analyzed. Mean telomere length in base pairs was analyzed with multivariable adjusted linear regression with complex sample design, stratified by sex. The unadjusted mean telomere length was 225.8 base shorter for individuals with prior military service. The mean telomere length for men was 47.2 (95% CI: -92.9, -1.5; p < 0.05) base pairs shorter for men with military service after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, and behavioral variables, but did not differ significantly in women with and without prior military service. The interaction between military service and race/ethnicity was not significant for men or women. The results suggest that military service may contribute to accelerated aging as a result of health damaging exposures, such as combat, injury, and environmental contaminants, though other unmeasured confounders could also potentially explain the results.

Dietary Intake and Elevated C-Reactive Protein Levels in US Military Veterans.

Elevated inflammatory markers, such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), have been associated with the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related diseases. However, limited studies have evaluated the potential association between dietary consumption and hs-CRP levels in a large, nationally representative sample, and fewer have investigated their role in ethnic and racial minority military populations. The goal of this study is to explore the relationship between dietary intake, health behaviors, and hs-CRP in individuals with prior military status and whether these associations differ by race/ethnicity. A complex, multistage, probability sample design was used from the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES) 2015-2018 waves. Our results indicate that previously deployed military service members had a higher prevalence of clinically elevated hs-CRP levels than civilians. Differences in hs-CRP among deployed veterans and civilians remained even after multivariable adjustment. Individuals classified as overweight and obese demonstrated clinically elevated hs-CRP levels compared with those with a normal body mass index (BMI). Dietary factors did not attenuate the association between changes in hs-CRP levels and veteran status. These findings suggest the need for further investigation into how military-specific stressors contribute to unfavorable health outcomes for the military population.