Gulf vets more chemical-sensitive than other vets

March 8, 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. Reid at St. '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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