More evidence, more complaints on Gulf War illness

From Correspondent Jeff Levine

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- While the Gulf War allies were victorious on the battlefield, researchers thus far are being defeated in efforts to find out what has made so many of the veterans sick.

But two new studies indicate the veterans are not much more likely to die or be hospitalized than soldiers who did not fight in the region.

Such research may seem to some veterans to conflict with their medical complaints.

"I am now on prescribed medication, which I will have to continue for the rest of my life. I will never fly aircraft again, in the military or as a civilian," Maj. Matthew Wagner, of the Marine Corps reserve, told a presidential advisory committee Wednesday.

Jeffrey Tack, 28, of Lexington, Kentucky, is now crippled by Lou Gehrig's disease.

"To me, it seems to be a simple case of cause and effect," Tack told the panel. "I was healthy before going to the Gulf. I spent five months in the Gulf, and I returned ill."

Whether Gulf vets have died at a rate higher than those who did not fight in the war has been an important question for researchers.

A study of more than one million soldiers published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows a higher accidental death rate: 17 percent for men, 78 percent for women. One reason the rate for women appears so much higher may be that there were fewer women than men serving in the Gulf.

Doctors say the higher accidental death rate points more to stress or depression than physical illness. In other words, the overall health of Gulf vets was not observed to be that different from a comparable soldier population that did not serve there.

"Veterans should be reassured by this result, because it shows that there is no increase in life-threatening medical disease in Persian Gulf veterans," said Dr. Frances Murphy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Another large-scale study of troops that stayed on active duty after the war indicated they were not more likely to go to the hospital. In fact, the study reported in the medical journal they were less likely to be hospitalized than other soldiers.

The Presidential Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses is winding up its analysis of Gulf War illness. It has all but ruled out a "syndrome," but the panel is considering everything from stress to possible chemical exposure.

"Our key findings, and my personal view about where the system let down the veterans of this war, are that it took too long to mount a serious investigation of the many possible causes for Gulf War illness," said committee member Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania.

Gulf War veterans have reported a variety of unexplained illnesses such as memory loss, fatigue, diarrhea and insomnia. Some blame the ailments, known collectively as Gulf War syndrome, on exposure to Iraqi chemical weapons.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Gulf War probe focuses on destruction of Iraqi weapons - November 13, 1996
• Panel blasts Pentagon over inquiry into Gulf War Syndrome - November 8, 1996
• CIA to probe allegations it covered up evidence of Gulf War chemical weapons exposure - November 1, 1996
• CIA director orders probe into alleged cover-up, release of papers - November 1, 1996
• Civilian defies Pentagon, puts Gulf War data on Internet - October 31, 1996

Related sites:

• GulfLINK
• DefenseLINK
• Gulf War Syndrome Cover up, from Covert Action Quarterly
• Gulf War Veteran Resource Page
• Desert Storm Justice Foundation

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