Gulf related illness--current perspectives

Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps
D G Upshall

Abstract

In the years after Operation Desert Storm and Operation Granby, some 4-8% of veterans of the conflict began to report symptoms of illness. Common complaints included fatigue, impaired cognition, joint pain, sleep disturbances, and chest pains. Between 1992 and 1994 in the USA, and later in the UK, governments set up medical assessment programmes to define the scope of the problem in qualitative and quantitative terms. Initial efforts moved to extensive epidemiological assessment and a search for causative mechanisms of what became termed "Gulf War Syndrome". Eventually significant sums of money were invested in medical and investigative research in an attempt to relate symptoms to causes. This paper presents the historical background and context to the problem of Gulf and war related illnesses, summarises the findings of relevant epidemiological studies and discusses some of the hypotheses that have been generated to explain the clusters of symptoms reported by veterans. Finally, the current UK research programme and its underlying rationale is presented. The aim is to provide an overview of the current position and assist in the interpretation of a diagnostically difficult area.

References

Oct 12, 1977·European Journal of Pediatrics·M ArimaY Suzuki
Sep 1, 1996·Annals of Internal Medicine·K C HyamsR Roswell
Nov 14, 1996·The New England Journal of Medicine·H K Kang, T A Bullman
Nov 14, 1996·The New England Journal of Medicine·G C GrayE Barrett-Connor
Jun 11, 1998·Emerging Infectious Diseases·J D Knoke, G C Gray
Sep 28, 1998·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·K FukudaW C Reeves
Jan 29, 1999·Lancet·C UnwinS Wessely
Jan 29, 1999·Lancet·K IsmailS Wessely

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Feb 9, 2002·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Roger Gabriel, Leigh A Neal
Nov 26, 2004·Pain Medicine : the Official Journal of the American Academy of Pain Medicine·Michael E Clark
Sep 28, 2012·International Journal of Stroke : Official Journal of the International Stroke Society·Damian G HoyAye Moe Moe Lwin
Mar 17, 2007·Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part a·Talar Sahsuvaroglu, Michael Jerrett
Sep 5, 2020·Scientific Reports·Israel Ramirez-SanchezFrancisco Villarreal

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.