Name
#201 Major Adverse Coronary Events Status Post Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange
Speakers
Content Presented On Behalf Of:
VHA/VA
Services/Agencies represented
Veterans Health Administration/Veterans Affairs (VHA/VA)
Session Type
Poster
Date
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
Start Time
5:00 PM
End Time
7:00 PM
Location
Prince Georges Expo Hall E
Focus Areas/Topics
Clinical Care
Learning Outcomes
• Identify the co-morbidities associated with Agent Orange exposure in Veterans with a PCI.
• Recognize that Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are high risk cardiovascular patients with a higher prevalence of CABG s/p PCI.
• Understand the provider and nursing implications for Veterans exposed to Agent Orange s/p PCI.
• Recognize that Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are high risk cardiovascular patients with a higher prevalence of CABG s/p PCI.
• Understand the provider and nursing implications for Veterans exposed to Agent Orange s/p PCI.
Session Currently Live
Description
Introduction: United States Veterans who served from 1961 to 1986 were likely exposed to Agent Orange, as approximately 107 million pounds of the chemical were sprayed in the areas where the fighting occurred and at U.S. military bases. Agent Orange was an herbicide used by the United States military to kill the jungle, foliage, tall grasses, bushes, and weeds. Agent Orange contained 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin, the most toxic form of dioxin, which has been associated with multiple disease processes and cardiac issues.
Research Question: Is Agent Orange exposure associated with higher major adverse coronary events (MACE) status post (s/p) PCI in Veterans?
Methods: An original quantitative descriptive, retrospective cohort, secondary data analysis study was conducted utilizing data collected by the VHA via the Cardiovascular Assessment, Reporting, and Tracking System for Cath Labs and the Computerized Patient Record System. A new and innovative SQL report was created for data mining. Statistical tests included Chi-square tests, two-sample t-tests, prevalence, logistic regression, and odds ratios. A secondary analysis was performed to assess for confounders, associations, and differences.
Results – Veterans exposed to Agent Orange status post percutaneous coronary intervention have significantly higher body mass index (p=<0.01), with a higher percentage of obesity (45.4% vs. 41.0%) and severe obesity (7.0% vs. 6.1%). There is a higher prevalence of those exposed to Agent Orange in the white (85% vs. 79.3%, p=<0.01) and non-Hispanic/Latino (93.9% vs. 92.9%, p=<0.01) male population. There is a higher prevalence of hypertension (91.3% vs. 90.7%, p=0.03), hyperlipidemia (91.7% vs. 90.1%, p=<0.01), and diabetes (53.5% vs. 49.8%, p=<0.01) in those exposed vs. non-exposed. Lastly, there is a higher prevalence (1.8% vs. 1.5%) and fully adjusted odds 1.22 (95%CI: 1.08, 1.37; p=0.0011) of CABG.
Conclusions: Veterans exposed to Agent Orange are high-risk cardiovascular patients with a higher prevalence and odds of CABG s/p PCI. Additionally, the increased prevalence of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, severe obesity, and diabetes in Veterans exposed to Agent Orange s/p PCI suggests that Agent Orange may contribute to the development of these disease processes.