VA-sponsored study says people should be monitored for ALS, cancer and other diseases that take years to develop
More than $500 million in U.S. government-funded research on Gulf War
veterans was conducted between 1994 and 2014, producing many results.
But there has been little overall progress in understanding the health
effects of serving in that war, according to an Institute of Medicine
(IOM) committee.
Echoing conclusions of a 2010 IOM report, the new U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs-sponsored study said Gulf War veterans appear to be at
increased risk for Gulf War illness, chronic fatigue syndrome, digestive
disorders, and such mental health conditions as post-traumatic stress
disorder, anxiety, depression and substance abuse.
The review of available scientific and medical literature also found
evidence of a link between Gulf War deployment and amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), fibromyalgia, chronic pain and sexual problems.
While ALS -- also called Lou Gehrig's disease -- was the only
neurologic disease for which there was evidence of an association with
Gulf War service, veterans of that war are still young in terms of the
development of degenerative brain diseases.
Therefore, the IOM committee said the VA should continue to monitor
Gulf War veterans for degenerative brain diseases that take a long time
to develop, such as ALS, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
There was not enough information to determine whether Gulf War
veterans are at added risk for cancer, but the committee said the VA
should continue to assess cancer rates among these veterans.
Evidence for Gulf War illness has increased in recent years, but
there has been little improvement in understanding the disease or how to
treat or manage it. A debilitating disorder, its symptoms include
fatigue, joint and muscle pain, headaches, concentration and memory
difficulties, gastrointestinal problems and skin rashes.
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