IOM links Gulf War service to several illnesses
MKSAP Quiz: worsening dysmenorrhea with pain
The Institute of Medicine has found a causal relationship between service in the Persian Gulf War and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other psychiatric disorders, gastrointestinal problems and multisymptom illness are also associated with deployment in the war, according to the evidence.
The review updates a 2006 IOM report on the health problems affecting Gulf War veterans and included data from several countries, including the United Kingdom and Australia. More than 250,000 of the 700,000 U.S. personnel who served in the war have since suffered from persistent, unexplained symptoms, an IOM press release noted.
According to the report, surveys and studies have found sufficient evidence that many veterans suffer from psychiatric disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder and abuse of substances, particularly alcohol, for at least 10 years after deployment. Irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia were also associated with deployment, but more research is needed to clarify the role of prior acute gastroenteritis and other comorbidities, the IOM found.
Limited evidence also suggested an association between Gulf War service and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sexual difficulties, fibromyalgia and chronic pain, and mortality from external causes, primarily motor vehicle accidents, soon after deployment. The experts were not able to determine what kind of chemical or other exposures could have caused the Gulf War illnesses, and they noted that it would be difficult if not impossible to do so after so much time has elapsed.
The IOM called for additional follow-up studies of Gulf War veterans to track the development of new health problems and genetic research to identify differences between veterans who have been affected by the illnesses and those who haven't. Greater efforts should also be made to find treatments for multisystem illness, the report concluded.
An ACP Internistarticle addressed the impact of PTSD on combat veterans in September 2008.