An Official American Thoracic Society (ATS) Workshop Report intended to identify key studies of post-deployment health, emerging research areas as well as knowledge gaps. In addition to co-authoring the report, findings from our laboratory are highlighted and discussed.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the forced oscillation technique (FOT) among military veterans with preserved spirometry and chronic unexplained respiratory symptoms. In our sample, FOT results showed distal airway dysfunction with preserved spirometry
This study shows that, in our sample of post-9/11 veterans, longer deployment lengths were associated with significant bronchodilator responsiveness and a trend toward airflow limitation independent of tobacco use.
This study shows increased nuclear DNA lesion frequency in veterans with Gulf War Illness. This study suggests greater mitochondrial DNA damage in GWI
This study shows that, contrary to prior assumptions, whole-body exercise training is effective for improving pulmonary function in adults with chronic lung disease, particularly spirometric indices.
In this preliminary study, we observed increased red blood cell deformability in veterans with GWI+, which may contribute to the symptomatology of GWI. Further research is required to confirm our findings and the role of RBC microrheology in GWI.
This study shows that Post‐9/11 veterans with respiratory complaints and an isolated reduction in diffusing capacity (DLCO) should undergo further evaluation.