Spirometric Pulmonary Restriction in Herbicide-Exposed U.S. Vietnam War Veterans

Yasmin Cypel, Stella E. Hines, Victoria J. Davey, Stephanie M. Eber and Aaron I. Schneiderman
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Yasmin Cypel: Epidemiology Program, Post Deployment Health Services (10P4Q), Office of Patient Care Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA
Stella E. Hines: Department of Medicine, Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
Victoria J. Davey: Office of Research & Development (10X2), Veterans Health Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC 20420, USA
Stephanie M. Eber: Epidemiology Program, Post Deployment Health Services (10P4Q), Office of Patient Care Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA
Aaron I. Schneiderman: Epidemiology Program, Post Deployment Health Services (10P4Q), Office of Patient Care Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, 810 Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 17, 1-14

Abstract: Spirometric restriction in herbicide-exposed U.S. Army Chemical Corps Vietnam War veterans was examined because no published research on this topic in Vietnam War veterans exists. Spirometry was conducted on 468 veterans who served in chemical operations in a 2013 study assessing the association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and herbicide exposure. Exposure was verified based on blood serum values of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin. Further, the association between herbicide exposure and spirometry restriction (forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV 1 )/forced vital capacity (FVC) ≥ lower limit of normal (LLN) and FVC < LLN) was tested after adjustment for military characteristics, selected anthropometrics, and other predictors using multivariable regression. Spirometric restriction in herbicide sprayers (15.7%, 95% CI: 10.6, 20.9) was almost twice that of nonsprayers (9.91%, 95% CI: 5.9, 13.9) ( p = 0.081). While spirometric restriction was not significantly associated with herbicide exposure (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.64, 95% CI: 0.82, 3.29) despite the greater prevalence of restriction in sprayers versus nonsprayers, spirometric restriction was significantly associated with race/ethnicity (aOR = 3.04, 95% CI: 1.36, 6.79) and waist circumference (aOR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.25, 4.85). Because restrictive pulmonary disease may result from chemically-induced inflammation or sensitivity, research on chemical exposures and restriction in veterans should continue. Future study should include full pulmonary function testing, targeted research designs, and a wider set of explanatory variables in analysis, such as other determinants of health.

Keywords: Herbicides; veterans; restrictive pulmonary disease; Vietnam War; chemical exposures; spirometry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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