January 18, 199. LANCET PRESS RELEASE

GULF WAR VETERANS REPORT MORE HEALTH DIFFICULTIES

British servicemen deployed to the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War are more likely to report health difficulties than those who were not sent to the conflict and those who fought in Bosnia, according to research published in this weekÕs Lancet. ÒWe believe that our data constitute firm evidence that service in the Gulf War has affected the health of servicemen,Ó write the investigators. However, they could not find a pattern of symptoms that was unique to the Gulf War veterans.

In the first study, Catherine Unwin and colleagues from London, UK, sent questionnaires to three groups (cohorts) of UK servicemen: 4249 deployed to the Gulf War, 4250 deployed to Bosnia, and 4246 who served during the Gulf War but who were not deployed. Analysis of the questionnaires returned by 8195 (65%) veterans showed that Ôperception of physical health and ability were significantly worse in the Gulf War cohort than in the other cohortsÓ. Gulf War veterans were more likely to complain of headache, poor concentration, asthma, arthritis, and rashes. Compared with the Bosnia cohort, the Gulf War veterans were more than twice as likely to report substantial fatigue, symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress, and substantial psychological stress. Soldiers from all three cohorts who reported health difficulties were more likely to report exposure to petrol fumes, vaccinations and other factors linked to Gulf War syndrome, or to have dealt with casualties.

In the second study, Khalida Ismail and colleagues, London, looked at whether there was a unique pattern of symptoms among Gulf War veterans that might represent a new disorder. The pattern of health difficulties reported by Gulf War veterans however differed little from those reported by the other two cohorts. Although these servicemen do have symptoms, the investigators conclude that the pattern Òwould appear to provide evidence against the existence of a unique Gulf War syndromeÓ. In his Commentary  (p162) Dr Stephen E Straus, Bethesda USA draws parallels between the health difficulties experienced by Gulf War veterans and those of First World War veterans.

Contact: Carol Hayward, Public Relations, GuyÕs, KingÕs and St ThomasÕs Medical School, London, SE5 8AF, UK tel +44 (0)171 872 3449; Fax +44 (0)171 872 0214.
Stephen E Straus, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Ma 20892, USA; tel +1 301 496 5807; fax +1 301 496 7385
 /ENDS

Source: The Lancet