Pulmonary function abnormalities may be a precursor to chronic respiratory disease in Iraq/Afghanistan and Gulf War veterans years after their deployment, according to a study presented at ATS 2014.

The retrospective study included 63 Gulf War veterans approximately 20 years post-deployment and 70 Iraq/Afghanistan veterans approximately 10 years post-deployment.

Pulmonary function abnormalities were assessed with spirometry. Among the Gulf War veterans, the rate of small airway obstruction was 5 times greater (38% vs. 7%) than that seen in a reference group from an earlier population-based sample of Gulf War veterans evaluated 10-years post-deployment, and the rate of restrictive lung physiology was 2 times greater (24% vs. 12%).

Among the Iraq/Afghanistan veterans, the rate of small airway obstruction was also 5 times greater (31% vs. 7%). Rates of non-reversible airway obstruction were significantly lower in the study groups than in the reference sample.

“Previous studies of Gulf War and Iraq/Afghanistan veterans have found persistent respiratory symptoms decades after their deployment but have not always detected clinically significant pulmonary abnormalities,” said lead author Michael Falvo, PhD, a research physiologist at the US Department of Veterans Affairs’ New Jersey War Related Illness and Injury Study Center. “In our study, however, we found evidence of small airway obstruction and other pulmonary abnormalities in many deployed veterans.”

Small airway obstruction may lead to asthma, COPD, or other respiratory problems.

“The veterans we evaluated exhibited unique spirometry patterns,” said Falvo. “If confirmed in larger studies, these patterns may indicate a higher risk for progression to chronic respiratory disease and may allow for early intervention. Our laboratory is currently engaged in multiple studies, supported by the Department of Veterans Affairs, to better understand mechanisms of respiratory symptoms in deployed veterans.”