Respiratory illness among Gulf War and Gulf War era veterans who use the Department of Veterans Affairs for healthcare

Abstract

Background: Veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War were exposed to a variety of toxic substances during their service that included several airborne hazards, but only a few small studies have assessed respiratory outcomes in Gulf War veterans. This paper presents population prevalence estimates and prevalence ratios of respiratory disease among Gulf War and Gulf War Era veterans who use VA healthcare. Methods: A total of 360,909 Gulf War deployed veterans and 323,638 Gulf War Era non-deployed veterans were included in the analysis. Ten-year period prevalence rates (PRs) for fifteen respiratory diseases were calculated for Gulf War and Gulf War Era veterans and period prevalence ratios comparing Gulf War veterans to Gulf War Era veterans were calculated. Results: The five respiratory conditions with the highest prevalence per 100,000 veterans across both Gulf War deployed and Gulf War Era non-deployed veterans (respectively) were: allergic rhinitis (8,400 and 8,041), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (4,763 and 4,795), asthma (4,685 and 4,477), chronic airway obstruction (3,983 and 4,059), and chronic sinusitis (2,863 and 2,672). The adjusted PRs showed a small, but significantly increased, elevation in Gulf War-deployed compared to Gulf War Era non-deployed veterans for chronic bronchitis (

Exposure to diesel exhaust particulates and desert sand dust generates microvesicle particles and platelet‐activating factor agonists

“…1 Notably, both DEP and DSD exhibit high reactivity and toxicity and are found to be associated with several pathological conditions, including respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurovascular dysfunction. 2,3 Evidence from in vitro and in vivo toxicological studies indicate that exposure to both DEP and DSD induces pathologies, in part, via the activation of multiple signaling cascades. 4,5 Importantly, epithelial cells from the respiratory tract are common sites for initial exposure to DEP and DSD.…”

Correlates and clinical associations of military sexual assault in Gulf War era U.S. veterans: Findings from a national sample

“…In addition to elevated rates of PTSD and MDD, many Gulf War era veterans have been shown to report physical symptoms ranging from respiratory and gastrointestinal difficulties to fatigue and muscular pain (Dursa et al., 2020; Fukuda et al., 1998; Proctor et al., 1998; Unwin et al., 2002; R. F. White et al., 2016). Notably, this collection of physical symptoms overlaps with, but also deviates from, established medical conditions (e.g., chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia).…”

“…In addition to elevated rates of PTSD and MDD, many Gulf War era veterans have been shown to report physical symptoms ranging from respiratory and gastrointestinal difficulties to fatigue and muscular pain (Dursa et al, 2020;Fukuda et al, 1998;Proctor et al, 1998;Unwin et al, 2002;R. F. White et al, 2016).…”