IED Shockwaves Inject Hidden Damage in Troops, Study Claims

BILL BRIGGS nbcnews.com

Tens of thousands of American combat veterans, many seemingly uninjured, carry higher risks of developing neurological disorders – and perhaps future organ ailments – simply because they were “exposed” to IED shockwaves, the Institute of Medicine reported Thursday.

As the signature weapon in Iraq and Afghanistan, the improvised explosive device sends blast waves through the bodies of people even hundreds of yards from the detonation, leaving some nearby outwardly unharmed but disrupting their molecules and inner tissues. Years later, such changes could lead to adverse symptoms, according to a new IOM study.