Tracking asthma in veterans who served in Southwest Asia
Official title: Longitudinal Evaluation of Southwest Asia Asthma Patient Cohort (LEAP2)
Funded at VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System · NIH-11300898 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows veterans who served in Southwest Asia to learn what causes their asthma and how their care can be improved.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | April 1, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 1I01RD001593-01A2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11300898 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Veterans aged 21 or older who served in Southwest Asia (for example, Iraq or Afghanistan) and have asthma or new-onset breathing problems after deployment are the intended participants.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of Southwest Asia deployment, children, or those with longstanding childhood asthma unrelated to deployment are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
You would join a group of veterans who served in Southwest Asia and have asthma or new breathing problems after deployment. The project will collect regular clinic visits, questionnaires about exposures (like burn pits, diesel, and dust), breathing tests, and blood or sputum samples over several years. Researchers will compare biological markers and symptoms to find different asthma subtypes and use computer algorithms to link exposures with worsening control. The goal is ongoing follow-up to understand why asthma stays uncontrolled for some veterans and to guide better treatment plans.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to clearer diagnoses and more targeted treatments for veterans with deployment-related asthma.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown higher asthma rates after Southwest Asia deployment, but comprehensive long-term biological subtyping and follow-up like this is largely new.
Where this research is happening
-
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
Aurora, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Krefft, Silpa Dhoma — VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System
- Study coordinator: Krefft, Silpa Dhoma
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.