Gulf Vets More Chemical-sensitive Than Other Vets

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MEDLINEplus: Gulf Vets More Chemical-sensitive Than Other Vets

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Sunday, March 31, 2002 3:23 PM

Gulf Vets More Chemical-sensitive Than Other Vets

 

 

- http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_6527.html -

 

 

 

 

 

Gulf Vets More Chemical-sensitive Than Other Vets

Reuters

 

Thursday, March 7, 2002

 

 

By Merritt McKinney

 

NEW YORK, Mar 07 (Reuters Health) - British soldiers who served in the Gulf War

are twice as likely as other veterans to report a sensitivity to at least one

chemical, UK researchers report.

 

In a new study, 28% of veterans who had been deployed to the Persian Gulf

reported being sensitive to at least one chemical trigger, such as cigarette

smoke, air pollution, cosmetics or car exhaust. The rate of chemical sensitivity

was 14% in veterans who were in the armed forces at the time of the Gulf War but

who were not deployed to the region and 13% in veterans who served in Bosnia.

 

The survey included 3,531 Gulf War veterans who served in the Persian Gulf,

another 2,614 veterans who were not deployed to the region and 2,050 veterans

who served as United Nations peacekeepers in Bosnia. Veterans were asked if they

ever experienced symptoms when exposed to one of 11 different substances.

 

A report on the findings is published in the latest issue of the journal

Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

 

The study " indicates that there is a significant problem related to chemical

sensitivities affecting a large proportion, almost 30%, of Gulf veterans, "

according to the study's lead author, Dr. Steven Reid at St. Mary's Hospital in

London, UK.

 

" The study does not provide any indication of what may be causing these reported

problems, " Reid told Reuters Health. He also noted that the study was based on

veterans' responses, not on medical evaluations of chemical sensitivities.

 

" But clearly, given the magnitude of the problem, further detailed investigation

should be a priority, " Reid said.

 

Since serving in the Gulf War, many veterans have reported a variety of health

problems including muscle and joint pain, fatigue, nausea and balance problems.

And a study conducted by the US Department of Veterans Affairs found that Gulf

War veterans who served in the Persian Gulf are nearly twice as likely as

veterans who served in other regions to develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,

or Lou Gehrig's disease.

 

SOURCE: Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2002;59:196-198.

 

 

 

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a.. Air Pollution

b.. Veteran's Health

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