# Deciphering Genetic and Environmental Influences on Visual Disorders in the Million Veteran Program

> **NIH VA I01** · LOUIS STOKES CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER · 2024 · —

## Abstract

Abstract
The VA Million Veteran Program (MVP) provides access to genotyping and longitudinal clinical data for
more than 616,000 Veterans, thereby offering an unparalleled opportunity to define the genetic basis of
complex diseases. In this project, we will examine age-related eye conditions that are of high relevance
to the Veterans Health Administration (primary open angle glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, Fuchs
endothelial corneal dystrophy, cataract, myopia, aqueous tear deficiency) that are prevalent in the
Veteran population with distinct adverse effects on vision and demands on system resources. In Aim 1,
we will perform single variant analysis for each ocular phenotype, towards identification of common and
rare variants. This genetic analysis will be conducted following development of a robust algorithm to
identify Cases with a condition and Controls without that condition. This algorithm will be based on
International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Separate genome wide association studies (GWAS)
will be conducted on MVP enrollees of European-American (EA), African-American (AA) or Hispanic-
American (HA) descent, with descent confirmed by Principal Component Analysis. For many of these
conditions, this will be the first GWAS ever conducted or will be the first trans-ethnic GWAS. This work
will follow-on our successful analysis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), where we noted
marked differences in the genetic basis of EA as compared to AA and HA Veterans. In Aim 2, we will use
PheWAS analysis to understand the interrelationships between different ocular diseases, between
ocular diseases and other conditions and between ocular diseases and quantitative physiological traits.
The MVP biobank provides an unprecedented opportunity to examine the genetic basis for eye diseases
that impact Veteran populations and to determine how eye diseases and other medical conditions are
related via shared gene variants or genetic profiles. Through the identification of new relationships
between ocular traits and other diseases or physiologic measures, this project will address an important
gap in the ocular genetics field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10903710
- **Project number:** 5I01BX004557-05
- **Recipient organization:** LOUIS STOKES CLEVELAND VA MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** NEAL S. PEACHEY
- **Activity code:** I01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** VA
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** —
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-04-01 → 2025-09-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10903710

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10903710, Deciphering Genetic and Environmental Influences on Visual Disorders in the Million Veteran Program (5I01BX004557-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10903710. Licensed CC0.

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