The Future of Health Care Begins with All of Us

It’s been said that strength lies in numbers. In the case of the All of Us Research Program, that is certainly true. Launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) five years ago, All of Us is one of the largest health research programs in U.S. history, and its goal is to accelerate health research. To do this, All of Us is working to enroll one million or more people in the U.S.— reflecting the rich diversity of our nation—to create one of the largest research databases in existence. With more than 700,000 participants, 500,000 bio samples, and 770 sites supporting enrollment across the U.S. so far, the All of Us Research Program is strong in its health resolve to the nation.

For five years now, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been an integral partner in All of Us, committed to ensuring that all interested Veterans are able to participate in—and benefit from—the program. To-date, more than 35,000 Veterans have enrolled in the program.

“We want our Veterans to be counted, including Veterans in Iowa City,” said Dr. Sherilyn Sawyer, one of the principal investigators of the VA All of Us Research Program. “We want them to benefit from insights the program offers today and future health advances that might improve health care for generations.”

While genetics are an important part of the research, the program also focuses on environment, lifestyle, and other factors that impact someone’s health. And unlike many previous health research programs, it includes participants from all regions, groups, and communities that constitute our nation.

Keisha, a U.S. Army Veteran, and nurse based in California, is an All of Us participant. When asked why she decided to enroll, she says, “Demographically, I check a lot of boxes: Female: we haven't always been well represented in research; African American; and Army Veteran. And I would add a geographical layer: I'm from rural North Carolina. I represent a lot of groups that are historically underrepresented in biomedical research.”

Currently, more than 6,400 health researchers are leveraging All of Us’ one-of-a-kind dataset to improve understanding of health and disease. So far, 6,700 research studies are underway, using All of Us bio samples, 389,000 electronic health records, and survey responses from more than 413,000 participants to study such conditions as heart disease, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, mental health, and more.

“The All of Us Research Program is building a dataset to help transform health research by equipping researchers with an enormous amount of health data from populations representative of all people and communities in the U.S.,” said Dr. Sawyer. “Researchers hope to improve our understanding of health and disease, find ways to reduce disparities, and enable more personalized approaches to care.”

One area of study among All of Us researchers is heart disease—with more than 200 studies underway. The leading cause of death in the U.S., heart disease disproportionately affects people from racial and ethnic backgrounds that medical research has historically underrepresented. More than 35,000 All of Us participants self-report having heart disease or other heart problems, while data from electronic health records suggest that more than 115,000 participants might have heart health issues. With the contributions of so many participants with heart disease and other heart problems, All of Us is one of the largest resources available to researchers for heart health related studies.

“Researchers are now drawing on data from multiple sources that allows them to find new connections to help us better understand why health disparities exist in cardiovascular disease and how to formulate effective solutions,” said All of Us Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Geoffrey Ginsburg, M.D., Ph.D. “Our goal is to contribute to a novel portfolio of risk assessments, diagnostics, and treatments to advance precision health for all.”

U.S. Veterans can join All of Us through one of 27 VA medical center locations nationwide currently enrolling. In Iowa City, Veterans may enroll at the Iowa City VA Medical Center, 601 Highway 6W, where more than 940 Veterans have already enrolled.

Should they choose to receive information about their DNA, participants can uncover where their ancestors might have lived hundreds of years ago or personal traits such as whether they are predisposed to love or hate cilantro. Participants may also choose to receive health-related insights such as whether they are at increased risk of developing certain health conditions (e.g., heart disease or diabetes) and how their body might react to certain medications—all free of charge. Participants who want help understanding their DNA results will receive free genetic counseling.

All participants receive $25 for their time after completing the initial enrollment steps, which include completing several consent forms and surveys, sharing electronic health records, and donating bio samples at their designated site.

To learn more about the VA All of Us Research Program, please visit Veterans.JoinAllofUs.org or call (833) 805-0426.