Combat Blasts Tied To Higher Risk Of Brain Disorders In Veterans

Combat explosions appear to be increasing veterans’ long-term risk of seizures, nerve pain and stroke, a new study says.

Vets exposed to high-level blasts from explosive devices or land mines are more likely to wind up with a serious neurological condition within the next decade, researchers reported Sept. 16 in the journal Neurology.

Living through an explosion also was linked to a wide range of other health problems, researchers added.

“Our findings reinforce that blast exposure is a whole-body problem with health implications that extend well beyond the time of exposure,” lead researcher Sarah Martindale said in a news release.

“In this study, veterans with a history of high-level blast exposure were more likely to be diagnosed with a range of neurological, respiratory, cardiovascular and metabolic conditions years later,” Martindale said. She is a translational neuroscientist at the Salisbury VA Health Care System in North Carolina.

For the study, researchers tracked the health of more than 36,500 veterans who received care at the Veterans Health Administration for at least two years after leaving military service. The research team followed these vets for up to a decade.

About 11% of the vets said they’d been exposed to at least one high-level blast from incoming fire or land mines, and 17% had a military occupation with a high risk of low-level blasts (from outgoing heavy artillery, shoulder-fired weapons and explosives used to breach doors and walls).

Results showed that high-level blast exposure was related to a 79% higher risk of seizures, 38% higher odds of nerve pain and 35% increased risk of stroke.

High-level blasts also were linked to increased risk of health problems like hepatitis B and C, diabetes, elevated cholesterol levels, chronic bronchitis, emphysema and heart conditions, researchers said.

The study wasn’t designed to explain how explosions might increase veterans’ risk of these conditions, researchers noted. Other health behaviors or lifestyle factors might have contributed to these increased risks, and further study is needed to better understand the associations.

“Understanding a veteran’s history of blast exposure may give us another piece of the puzzle when considering their long-term health risks and how those risks should be monitored over time,” Martindale said.

More information

NATO Science and Technology Organization has more on brain health risks from blast exposure.

SOURCE: American Academy of Neurology, news release, Sept. 16, 2026