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This study investigated the population prevalence of asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis among veterans deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq compared to nondeployed veterans. A 2009-2011 population-based health survey of 60,000 veterans (34% response rate) asked about the history of doctor-diagnosed respiratory disease. Analyses included smoking history, deployment status, and year of diagnosis. The prevalence of asthma, bronchitis, and sinusitis among those diagnosed during or after 2001 was 3.3%, 5.9%, and 6.9%, respectively, among the deployed veterans and 3.4%, 5.3%, and 5.6%, respectively, among the nondeployed veterans. Deployed veterans were 29% more likely to have been diagnosed with sinusitis during and after 2001 compared to nondeployed veterans (adjusted odds ratio = 1.30, 95% confidence interval = 1.13, 1.49). Deployed veterans are at increased risk for sinusitis compared to nondeployed. There was no significant difference in asthma or bronchitis risk between deployed and nondeployed veterans.
Barth et al. (Sat,) studied this question.