Study links burn pit smoke exposure to increased lung particle burden in post-9/11 veterans. A recent study found a link between burn pit exposure and deployment-related distal lung diseases in post-9/11 deployed military veterans. Lung tissue samples from 24 veterans, 10 patients with respiratory bronchiolitis (a lung disorder caused by smoking), and 10 controls without lung disease were analyzed. Veterans had significantly greater anthracotic (carbon-based) pigment burden than controls and a similar level of burden to patients with respiratory bronchiolitis. Anthracotic pigment fraction was significantly associated with high exposure to burn pits. There was no significant association between pigment fraction and exposure to diesel exhaust or sandstorms. These findings suggest that exposure to burn pits might contribute to the development of deployment-related distal lung diseases in veterans.
Visit https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-01-links-pit-exposure-lung-particle.html to read more.
VA/DoD recommendations updated for primary care management of chronic kidney disease. The United States (US) Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and US Department of Defense (DoD) released an updated 2025 clinical practice guideline for the primary care management of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The guidelines encompass 23 items in 4 categories, including diagnosis, assessment, and laboratory monitoring; general management strategies; pharmacologic management of CKD and associated conditions; and contrast-associated acute kidney injury management. These guidelines suggest screenings for individuals aged older than 60 years and individuals with diabetes, hypertension, and/or cardiovascular disease. New recommendations were added about the use of certain pharmacologic treatments, such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/ angiotensin II receptor blocker continuation, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, and statins.
Visit https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/ANNALS-25-03499 to read more.
Upper gastrointestinal symptoms and Gulf War Illness in a clinical cohort of US veterans: a retrospective, cross-sectional study. In this study, researchers aimed to assess the relationship between upper gastrointestinal (UGI) symptoms and Gulf War Illness (GWI). Among 596 Gulf War veterans, 413 had GWI. In total, 557 veterans (93.5%) reported at least 1 UGI symptom, and 322 (54.1%) reported 2 to 3 symptoms. The most common symptoms were stomach pain (88.8%), nausea or vomiting (80.4%), and poor appetite (41.6%). Significantly more patients with GWI reported at least 1 UGI symptom compared to veterans without GWI (98.3% vs 82.5%). Mean number of UGI symptoms was significantly higher among veterans with GWI (3.1) compared to veterans without GWI (2.1). GWI was significantly associated with the presence of any UGI symptom; additionally, there were significant associations between GWI and presence of specific symptoms, including nausea and vomiting, poor appetite, history of ulcer/reflux, stomach pain, and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing). This study highlights that Gulf War veterans frequently experience UGI symptoms and shows an association between GWI and UGI symptoms.
Visit https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12414160/ to read more.
