Blast Injury and Cardiopulmonary Symptoms in U.S. Veterans: Analysis of a National Registry
Authors: Nisha Jani, Michael J. Falvo, Anays Sotolongo, Omowunmi Y. Osinubi, Chin-lin Tseng, Mazhgan Rowneki, Michael Montopoli, Sybil W. Morley, Vincent Mitchell, Drew A. Helmer
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2017)

Letters21 November 2017Blast Injury and Cardiopulmonary Symptoms in U.S. Veterans: Analysis of a National RegistryNisha Jani, MPH, Michael J. Falvo, PhD, Anays Sotolongo, MD, Omowunmi Y. Osinubi, MD, MSc, MBA, Chin-lin Tseng, DrPH, Mazhgan Rowneki, MPH, Michael Montopoli, MD, Sybil W. Morley, MPH, Vincent Mitchell, MA, and Drew A. Helmer, MD, MSNisha Jani, MPHVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.), Michael J. Falvo, PhDVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.), Anays Sotolongo, MDVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.), Omowunmi Y. Osinubi, MD, MSc, MBAVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.), Chin-lin Tseng, DrPHVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.), Mazhgan Rowneki, MPHVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.), Michael Montopoli, MDVeterans Affairs Central Office, Washington, DC (M.M., S.W.M., V.M.), Sybil W. Morley, MPHVeterans Affairs Central Office, Washington, DC (M.M., S.W.M., V.M.), Vincent Mitchell, MAVeterans Affairs Central Office, Washington, DC (M.M., S.W.M., V.M.), and Drew A. Helmer, MD, MSVeterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.)Author, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/M17-0711 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: Recent epidemiologic studies have reported an increased risk for respiratory conditions in service members deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan (1) since 2001 and an increasing prevalence of chronic lung disease in this population (2). Reports of dyspnea and exercise intolerance have mostly been attributed to exposure to airborne hazards, such as burn-pit smoke and particulate matter.Exposure to blast waves during military deployment has been recognized as the hallmark injury of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and considerable efforts have been made to understand the associated neurologic sequelae. However, less attention has been paid to the lungs, which ...References1. Falvo MJ, Osinubi OY, Sotolongo AM, Helmer DA. Airborne hazards exposure and respiratory health of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Epidemiol Rev. 2015;37:116-30. [PMID: 25589052] doi:10.1093/epirev/mxu009 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. Pugh MJ, Jaramillo CA, Leung KW, Faverio P, Fleming N, Mortensen E, et al. Increasing prevalence of chronic lung disease in veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mil Med. 2016;181:476-81. [PMID: 27136656] doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00035 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Ahmed FA, Kamnaksh A, Kovesdi E, Long JB, Agoston DV. Long-term consequences of single and multiple mild blast exposure on select physiological parameters and blood-based biomarkers. Electrophoresis. 2013;34:2229-33. [PMID: 23712899] doi:10.1002/elps.201300077 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Dodd KT, Mundie TG, Lagutchik MS, Morris JR. Cardiopulmonary effects of high-impulse noise exposure. J Trauma. 1997;43:656-66. [PMID: 9356064] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2017. [PMID: 28617567] doi:10.17226/23677 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System, East Orange, New Jersey (N.J., M.J.F., A.S., O.Y.O., C.T., M.R., D.A.H.)Veterans Affairs Central Office, Washington, DC (M.M., S.W.M., V.M.)Note: This material is based on resources from Department of Veterans Affairs–Post-Deployment Health Services/War Related Illness and Injury Study Center and use of facilities from Veterans Affairs New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange, New Jersey.Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs or the U.S. government.Disclosures: Disclosures can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M17-0711.This article was published at Annals.org on 19 September 2017. 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An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop ReportSmall airways disease in an Operation Desert Storm Deployer: Case report and review of the literature on respiratory health and inhalational exposures from Gulf War I 21 November 2017Volume 167, Issue 10Page: 753-755KeywordsArmed forcesDisclosureDyspneaExerciseHealth careHealth surveysLungsQuestionnairesRisk managementVeteran care ePublished: 19 September 2017 Issue Published: 21 November 2017 PDF downloadLoading ...