WASHINGTON, Nov. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The Research Advisory Committee on
Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, a Congressionally-chartered panel of scientific
experts and veterans, has released its first major report on Gulf War
illnesses. In response to the report's findings, Secretary of Veterans'
Affairs (VA) Anthony J. Principi has announced that VA will no longer fund
research studies that focus on stress as the primary cause for Gulf War
veterans' illnesses. The report's findings and the Secretary's announcement
represent a significant departure from previous government actions on the
multisymptom conditions affecting veterans of the 1991 Persian Gulf War.
Secretary Principi also committed $15 million in fiscal year 2005 to support
research recommended by the report, including a new program to identify and
evaluate treatments for Gulf War veterans' illnesses.
Based on the latest research findings from hundreds of scientific studies
and government reports, the Committee concluded that:
-- A substantial proportion, 25 to 30 percent, of veterans who served in
the 1991 Gulf War suffer from illnesses characterized by persistent
headaches, memory problems, pain, fatigue, and other chronic symptoms
-- Gulf War illnesses are not explained by stress or psychiatric illness
for the large majority of ill veterans
-- Ill Gulf War veterans exhibit evidence of neurological problems,
including a significant excess in the rate of amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease
-- Accumulated research supports a probable link between Gulf War
illnesses and neurotoxic exposures encountered in the war
-- Treatments to improve the health of ill veterans are urgently needed
-- Research on Gulf War veterans' illnesses has important implications
for current and future military deployments and homeland security
"During the past few years, studies at leading research centers have
dramatically increased what is known about Gulf War illnesses and changed
long-held beliefs," said James Binns, Research Advisory Committee Chairman.
"Past research investments by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the
Department of Defense have at last begun to pay off. We are also fortunate to
have in Secretary Principi a leader who has taken these conditions seriously
and will act on these findings."
Gulf War veterans' illnesses is the name used to describe the chronic
health problems reported for over 13 years by veterans who served in the 1991
Gulf War, earlier referred to as "Gulf War Syndrome." Government reports
indicate that many Gulf War veterans were exposed to potentially harmful
substances during deployment, including a variety of compounds that can
adversely affect the nervous system.
The 143-page Committee report summarizes the results of hundreds of
scientific studies and government reports. It concludes that recent studies
and the large body of available research mandate fundamentally different
conclusions than those of previous government panels. The report also
indicates that recent discoveries point the way for follow-up research to
pinpoint the exact mechanisms underlying Gulf War veterans' illnesses and
assist in the development of effective treatments.
"Gulf War illnesses are complex, and are likely the result of a number of
factors related to service in the 1991 Gulf War," according to Dr. Lea Steele,
the committee's Scientific Director. "Studies consistently indicate that
stress and psychiatric illness do not explain the health problems of most ill
veterans. In contrast, a growing body of scientific evidence implicates
substances to which veterans were exposed during the war, including a variety
of neurotoxins. Other exposures may also have contributed to these problems,
and will be addressed in future reports."
"Research on Gulf War illnesses has broad implications for current and
future military deployments as well as homeland security, given the urgent
need for medical defenses against chemical threats," concluded Binns. "A
comprehensive effort, marshalling the resources of the Departments of Veterans
Affairs, Defense, and Health and Human Services, as well as private medical
research institutions, could produce rapid and much needed results."
For additional information, or to access the report please visit the
Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses website at
http://www.va.gov/rac-gwvi .
About the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses
The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses was
created by Congress in 1998 and first appointed by Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Anthony J. Principi in January 2002, to advise VA on research related
to the health consequences of service in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. The
committee consists of scientific experts and Gulf War veterans, and is chaired
by James Binns, former Principal Assistant Secretary of Defense and a Vietnam
veteran.
Media Contact: Dr. Lea Steele, Scientific Director
Phone: 785-350-4617 or email: RAC@med.va.gov
SOURCE Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans'
Illnesses
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Related links:
http://www.va.gov/rac-gwvi
CONTACT:
Dr. Lea Steele, Scientific Director of
Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses,
+1-785-350-4617, or RAC@med.va.gov
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