MORTALITY PATTERNS AMONG VIETNAM VETERANS - A 24-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS

The mortality experience of 33,833 US Army and Marine Corps Vietnam ve terans who died during 1865-1888 was compared with that of 36,797 dece ased non-Vietnam veterans using proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs). Military service information was abstracted from military personnel r ecords and cause of death information recorded from death certificates . Army Vietnam veterans had statistically significant excesses of deat hs from laryngeal cancer (PMR = 1.38) and lung cancer (PMR = 1.08). Th ere was an excess of external causes (PMR = 1.03), including motor veh icle accidents (PMR = 1.03) and accidental poisonings (PMR = 1.17). In contrast to Army Vietnam veterans, the results for Marine Vietnam vet erans varied according to the referent population used. When compared with non-Vietnam veterans, Marine Vietnam veterans had significantly e levated PMRs for lung cancer (PMR = 1.17) and skin cancer (PMR = 1.33) . There was also a significant excess of external causes of death (PMR = 1.06), accidental poisonings (PMR = 1.19), and homicides (PMR = 1.1 6) compared with all non-Vietnam veterans.