Did these veterans get a dangerous brain condition from their time in the military?

By ITV News

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Earlier this year, ITV News told the story of veteran Steven Cunningham who was diagnosed with an Arterio-Venous Malformation (AVM) in his brain following years of exposure to blast waves from the guns he fired. AVM is a rare and dangerous condition, a vascular mutation that causes high pressure blood to flow from arteries directly into veins, which normally operate at much lower pressure. The risk of rupture and a disabling or fatal brain bleed is high. Immediately after our report, a number of veterans contacted us to say they had also suffered an AVM. Among them was Royal Marines veteran Glen. Curious about how many more veterans were affected and whether blast exposure was to blame, Glen posted his story on Facebook. Among those who saw it was Richard Wagner, who had served with the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards. Studies have shown that blast waves from explosions, including from soldiers’ own weapons, can cause long term damage to blood vessels in the brain. Could t

Tags: veterans, soldiers, wounded, gulf war, itv news