Gulf War Syndrome

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) says 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 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.


Statistics

Some 53,462 UK Servicemen and women served in the 1990-1991 Gulf conflict

Of over 3,000 patients who have been to GVMAP, about 20% turn out to have a psychiatric diagnosis

17 per cent of Gulf War veteran respondents to a 2001 British Medical Journal survey stated that they believed that they have Gulf War Syndrome

380 out of 537 deaths among Gulf War Veterans were suicides

Statistics 1 and 2: (Source: Ministry of Defence); Statistic 3: (Source: British Medical Journal, September 2003); Statistic 4: (Source: National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, 2002)


Quotes

"The overwhelming consensus of medical and scientific opinion is that the symptoms reported by some Gulf veterans do not constitute a discrete medical disorder or syndrome. The MoD's position must always be based on the best available science."

Ministry of Defence, responding to the High Court judgment in the Rusling case, June 2003