Gulf War Syndrome
Saturday, 04, Jul 2009 04:30
What is Gulf War Syndrome?
'Gulf War Syndrome' is the phrase coined by the media to describe the unattributable illnesses showing in veterans of the Persian Gulf War against Iraq in 1990.
The Ministry Of Defence (MOD) has said the syndrome has no definite scientific or medical basis, and the term is used broadly to describe a diverse range of symptoms reported by returning soldiers, which include fatigue, headaches, rashes, memory loss and gastrointestinal problems.
The possibility of a 'syndrome' was suggested because of the exposure of US and UK soldiers to an array of dangerous factors during the conflict, and because of concerns about the effect of vaccines administered by the MOD before, during, and after the conflict.
Background
'War syndrome' has long been associated with soldiers returning from conflict and presenting with scientifically unexplainable symptoms of illness. Its most well-known manifestation is in the mental and physical problems displayed by large numbers of US Vietnam veterans.
'Gulf War Syndrome' was first mooted as a potential illness in 1991, at the end of the initial stages of the conflict, and the return of the first service personnel.
The Gulf Veterans' Medical Assessment Programme (GVMAP) was established by the Ministry of Defence in July 1993 to examine UK Gulf veterans who were concerned that their health had been adversely affected by service in the Gulf conflict. The programme aimed to investigate and record the symptoms presented by servicemen and recommend treatments, but not actually treat servicemen.
In 1997 the Government published a report, titled; 'Gulf Veterans' Illnesses: A New Beginning', outlining the way the government was to pursue the issue. The MOD also established the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit (GVIU) in 1997 to conduct relevant reviews, provide support to the research teams and to answer public correspondence on the subject.
These programmes have been supported by individual epidemiological research studies, (and others such as the Neuromuscular Symptoms Study) carried out by independently controlled bodies, into the possible causes of the disease.
Controversies
The core controversy surrounding the incidence is that there is currently no consensus among the scientific and medical communities on the reasons for Gulf veterans' illnesses, and consequently those veterans who feel they have suffered as a direct result of the conflict are unable to seek legal redress for their suffering.
A wide range of theories about what caused Gulf War Syndrome have been put forward. These include:
Depleted uranium poisoning
Side-effects of drugs given for protection against nerve agents
Autoimmune diseases induced by squalene, an adjuvant used in anthrax vaccines to speed up the development of anthrax immunity.
Parasites
Biological or chemical weapons whose use has not been disclosed or discovered
Fumes from oil well fires
Aspartame poisoning - the artificial sweetener breaks down at high temperatures into, among other things, methanol and formaldehyde
Despite some circumstantial evidence being available to support many of the above, conclusive evidence for what - if anything - Gulf War Syndrome is continues to evade the medical establishment. Some have even argued that it is simply a manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder.
However, in a landmark judgement in June 2003, the High Court upheld a claim by a former serviceman, Shaun Rusling, who argued that a range of health problems he had suffered from were attributable to his service in the Gulf War - although the Court did not mention Gulf War Syndrome by name. Mr Rusling was contesting the Veterans Agency's refusal to pay pensions to veterans claiming to be suffering from Gulf War Syndrome because the Ministry of Defence does not recognise the condition.
Then in November 2005, the MOD agreed, during the pension appeals tribunal case of Trooper Daniel Martin, that 'Gulf War Syndrome' could be used as an umbrella term, “to refer to a broad range of symptoms suffered by certain servicemen and women who were connected with the 1991 Gulf War”.
However, research has failed to identify 'Gulf War Syndrome' as a separate identifiable disease or condition.
Statistics
A study into the causes of deaths among UK veterans of the 1990/91 Gulf War was carried out between 1st April, 1991 and 31st December 2007.
The mortality rates of 53,409 UK Gulf veterans were analysed alongside those of the Era cohort, a comparison group of 53,143 personnel who did not deploy to the Gulf.
The study found that there were 918 deaths among the Gulf veterans up to the 31 December 2007 and 958 deaths in the Era comparison group
There were no statistically significant differences in the total number of deaths between the Gulf veterans and the Era comparison group, or for any of the main groups of cause of death.
There were fewer disease-related deaths among the Gulf veterans than the age adjusted Era comparison group: 463 deaths compared with an estimate of 528.
However, there were 162 deaths due to intentional self-harm and events of undetermined intent (suicides and open verdict deaths) among Gulf veterans compared with an estimate of 144 among the age-adjusted Era comparison group.
Source: Defence Analytical Services Agency – March 2008
Quotes
"My Lords, the health of Gulf veterans and support of their families remain a high priority for the Government. Appropriate pensions are paid. We have written to advise veterans on how they can have the label “Gulf War syndrome” applied to their disablements as an umbrella term."
"We are working with appropriate experts to develop a rehabilitation programme, and we are monitoring international research. We shall consider further reasonable proposals for UK research."
Defence Minister Lord Drayson, speaking in the House of Lords - October 2007