Increased Allergic Rhinitis Rates Among U.S. Military Personnel After Deployment To The Persian Gulf

Abstract

RationaleA report by the Department of Defense determined that 13% of U.S. Army Medic visits in Iraq are for new-onset acute respiratory illness, and case reports of veterans with asthma that began in Iraq have surfaced. This prompted our study to determine if allergic rhinitis can account for the constellation of symptoms, including cough and rhinorrhea, experienced by these soldiers.MethodsSoldiers discharged from active duty and examined between March 1, 2004 to May 1, 2007, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, NY, were identified from a computerized database and stratified based on whether they had prolonged Persian Gulf deployment (≥1 year) or were stationed in the United States. They were further classified by International Classification of Disease (ICD) code allergic rhinitis. Associations between deployment and disease status were evaluated.ResultsThere were 6,233 computer records from patients aged between 18 to 45 years analyzed between March 1, 2004 and May 1, 2007. For allergic rhinitis, 9.9% of soldiers deployed to the Persian Gulf had disease, vs. 5.1% of U.S. homeland-stationed personnel (with a crude OR = 2.03, 95%CI: [1.58, 2.60]). These associations persist when stratified by gender and age group.ConclusionsPersian Gulf deployment is associated with an increased risk of allergic rhinitis. RationaleA report by the Department of Defense determined that 13% of U.S. Army Medic visits in Iraq are for new-onset acute respiratory illness, and case reports of veterans with asthma that began in Iraq have surfaced. This prompted our study to determine if allergic rhinitis can account for the constellation of symptoms, including cough and rhinorrhea, experienced by these soldiers. A report by the Department of Defense determined that 13% of U.S. Army Medic visits in Iraq are for new-onset acute respiratory illness, and case reports of veterans with asthma that began in Iraq have surfaced. This prompted our study to determine if allergic rhinitis can account for the constellation of symptoms, including cough and rhinorrhea, experienced by these soldiers. MethodsSoldiers discharged from active duty and examined between March 1, 2004 to May 1, 2007, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, NY, were identified from a computerized database and stratified based on whether they had prolonged Persian Gulf deployment (≥1 year) or were stationed in the United States. They were further classified by International Classification of Disease (ICD) code allergic rhinitis. Associations between deployment and disease status were evaluated. Soldiers discharged from active duty and examined between March 1, 2004 to May 1, 2007, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Northport, NY, were identified from a computerized database and stratified based on whether they had prolonged Persian Gulf deployment (≥1 year) or were stationed in the United States. They were further classified by International Classification of Disease (ICD) code allergic rhinitis. Associations between deployment and disease status were evaluated. ResultsThere were 6,233 computer records from patients aged between 18 to 45 years analyzed between March 1, 2004 and May 1, 2007. For allergic rhinitis, 9.9% of soldiers deployed to the Persian Gulf had disease, vs. 5.1% of U.S. homeland-stationed personnel (with a crude OR = 2.03, 95%CI: [1.58, 2.60]). These associations persist when stratified by gender and age group. There were 6,233 computer records from patients aged between 18 to 45 years analyzed between March 1, 2004 and May 1, 2007. For allergic rhinitis, 9.9% of soldiers deployed to the Persian Gulf had disease, vs. 5.1% of U.S. homeland-stationed personnel (with a crude OR = 2.03, 95%CI: [1.58, 2.60]). These associations persist when stratified by gender and age group. ConclusionsPersian Gulf deployment is associated with an increased risk of allergic rhinitis. Persian Gulf deployment is associated with an increased risk of allergic rhinitis.