Gulf War Syndrome Is Real, Panel Concludes

A report released yesterday concluded that Gulf War syndrome is a legitimate condition suffered by more than 175,000 U.S. military veterans who were exposed to chemical toxins in the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

The congressionally mandated report could help veterans who have battled the government for treatment of a wide range of unexplained neurological illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and brain cancer.

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses concluded that Gulf War syndrome is a distinct physical condition.

"Scientific evidence leaves no question that Gulf War illness is a real condition with real causes and serious consequences for affected veterans," said the committee, which was appointed in 2002. The panel, made up of independent scientists and veterans appointed by the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Congress should boost funding for research on Gulf War veterans' health to at least $60 million per year.

The committee challenged several earlier studies and reports by expert panels of the National Academy of Science's Institute of Medicine. Most recently, 13 scientists assembled by the Institute wrote in September 2006, after reviewing 850 studies -- essentially all the scientific literature on the topic -- that "the nature of the symptoms suffered by many Gulf War veterans does not point to an obvious diagnosis, etiology [cause], or standard treatment."

Half a dozen other expert groups have also concluded previously that Gulf War syndrome does not exist as a distinct condition.

The new report, however, found that Gulf War syndrome affects at least one-fourth of the 700,000 U.S. troops who served in the 1991 effort to drive Iraq out of Kuwait. Symptoms include persistent headaches, widespread pain, cognitive difficulties, unexplained fatigue, skin rashes, chronic diarrhea, and digestive and respiratory problems. Many veterans with these symptoms say they met with skepticism when seeking treatment.

The panel found two possible causes: a drug given to troops to protect against nerve gas, known as pyridostigmine bromide, and pesticides that were used heavily during the war. It said other possible causes could not be ruled out.

The government has spent roughly $440 million on Gulf War health research since 1994, but spending has declined in recent years.