BurnPitsExposure

Blast exposure independently predicts presence of cough, wheeze, and dyspnea. Blast-exposed veterans were more likely to report respiratory symptoms than unexposed veterans. Care for injury at Landstuhl was inversely associated with reporting of all symptoms and all diagnoses.

Military deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan increases the risk for lung disease, according to a new study. Biopsies of symptomatic deployers were compared to diseased and normal controls, and a novel semiquantitative electronic histologic scoring system was used. Findings in deployers overlapped most with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and abnormalities were more common in the lower lobe than upper lobe biopsies. The study found that several deployers had bronchiolitis, though this finding was substantially less frequent than in OB cases, and moderate/severe emphysema was noted in 46.2% of symptomatic deployers, of whom nearly half (46.7%) were never smokers.

Lung cancer screening begins at age 50, with yearly low dose computed tomography (LDCT) scans until age 80. Veterans serving from World War II to the Gulf War are now at the age where LDCT is recommended. The additional risk of lung cancer due to military exposure history is unclear.

Two large randomized controlled trials have shown mortality benefit from lung cancer screening (LCS) in high-risk groups. Updated guidelines by the United State Preventative Service Task Force in 2020 will allow for inclusion of more patients who are at high risk of developing lung cancer and benefit from screening. The advantage of LDCT is its high sensitivity for detecting pulmonary nodules while using approximately five times less radiation compared with conventional CT.

The study investigates the pathogenesis of Deployment-Related Constrictive Bronchiolitis (DRCB) in soldiers deployed to Southwest Asia. The study found that sustained club cell injury in mice led to chronic peribronchiolar fibrosis and the accumulation of alternatively activated macrophages. The study also found that alveolar macrophages contribute to the development of CB and that depletion of alveolar macrophages in mice ameliorated CB. The study suggests that sustained club cell injury is implicated in the development of DRCB and provides potential biomarkers and treatment targets for the disorder.

The Study will continue to foster stakeholder relationships such that research findings inform and guide policy initiatives and health promotion efforts. Summarize: Conclusions. Summaries: Findings will inform policy initiatives. Conclusions: Research findings will guide and inform policy efforts and efforts to improve health.