higher rates of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a neurode- Syndrome generative condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s dis- Gets Real ease, than of other wars. And troops that were stationed downwind from BU Experts evaluate the science including , problems the demolition site have for landmark federal report with thinking, skin lesions, died from brain cancer at By Caleb Daniloff and gastrointestinal upset, twice the rate of other Gulf since their return seventeen War veterans. years ago,” says Roberta For almost two decades, Gulf War veterans suf- Gulf War syndrome is a real White, the committee’s sci- the government and the fering a host of neurologi- medical condition and that entific director and a profes- military have downplayed cal problems have scored a it afflicts at least one in four sor and chair of the School of veterans’ complaints, often victory in their struggle to of the 697,000 U.S. veterans Public Health department of referring to them as another legitimize their medical who fought in Iraq, Kuwait, environmental health. “De- form of post-traumatic claims — thanks in part to and Saudi Arabia. The land- spite their persistence and stress disorder. For its re- public health experts at BU, mark report, presented in severity, these symptoms port, the research commit- whose research effectively November by the BU-based have often led to no diagno- tee evaluated hundreds of debunks years of govern- Research Advisory Commit- sis in a substantial portion of studies of Gulf War veterans, ment denials. tee on Gulf War Veterans’ the war’s veterans.” extensive research in other A congressionally man- Illnesses to Secretary of Vet- The 450-page report human populations, stud- dated panel, made up of erans Affairs James Peake, brings together for the ies on toxic exposures in leading scientists, medical calls on Congress to appro- first time the full range of animals, and government experts, and military veter- priate $60 million for treat- scientific research and gov- investigations related to ex- ans, charged with shaping ment of Gulf War vets. ernment investigations on posures in the Gulf War. federal health research re- “Veterans of the first Gulf War illness. The report “The illness is probably lated to the 1991 Middle East Gulf War have been plagued found that the condition controversial because it’s conflict has concluded that by symptoms of ill health, fundamentally differs from symptom-based, and most stress-related syndromes veterans don’t have a com- seen after other wars and mon medical diagnosis that SPH’s Roberta states that scientific evi- fits all of their symptoms,” White says

Fran k C urran dence “leaves no question White says. “It may also be symptoms of Gulf War that Gulf War illness is a real controversial because peo- syndrome, such condition.” ple feel that it’s obvious that as fatigue, skin The report lays the blame war is stressful and there- lesions, and for several health problems fore stress must be causing gastrointestinal on the troops’ exposure the health symptoms, even upset, are not the result of to toxins, primarily in two though this has never been stress alone. contexts where the exposure proven. In fact, it’s been was caused by the U.S. mili- discounted in quite a few tary itself. In anticipation of studies.” a chemical attack, the drug White has been studying bromide was Gulf War illnesses since 1993 given to hundreds of thou- and served as research direc- sands of troops. And living tor of one of the three initial and dining areas, tents, and VA-funded centers on Gulf uniforms were sprayed with War illness. Since the early to battle desert 1990s the U.S. Department of insects. Defense and the Department The report also suggests of Veterans Affairs, among that the U.S. demolition of other federal entities, have an Iraqi munitions dump funded SPH studies of Gulf may have exposed 100,000 War veterans and the effects troops to nerve gas stored at of exposure to low-level the facility. Gulf War veter- , pesticides, and pyri- ans have shown significantly dostigmine bromide. p

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