Table 3-9 -- Summary of Epidemiologic Data to Date from Federally Funded Studies
Study Studies completed or reporting results Limitations and Overall findings type (references) generalizability Mortality -U.S. Military Casualty Comparisons During the -Studies include the -Both battle and nonbattle studies Persian Gulf War (85) entire deployed Gulf casualty rates were low -Comparative Mortality Among U.S. Military War service during the war, but excess Personnel in the Persian Gulf Region and population, thus mortality from injuries was Worldwide During Operations Desert Shield and encompassing the observed. Desert Storm (343) experience of the -Since the war, Gulf War -Mortality Among U.S. Veterans of the Persian complete population veterans have experienced Gulf War (108) of interest. excess mortality from -Followup since the external causes (e.g., Gulf War has only injuries), while rates for been performed natural causes (e.g., through September diseases) have been lower 1993. or the same as rates in era veterans. Morbidity -123rd Army Reserve Command Investigation (41) -Studies vary in -Increased symptoms are studies -24th Naval Construction Battalion populations examined reported by those deployed Investigation (10) and their to the Gulf, compared to -Health of Persian Gulf War Veteran Women generalizability to other veterans. (199-201) the Gulf War veteran -No consistent abnormal -Pennsylvania Air National Guard study population as a laboratory or physical (211,212,291) whole. findings in groups with -The Postwar Hospitalization Experience of -Studies have increased symptoms. U.S. Veterans of the Persian Gulf War (75) differing strengths and limitations. Studies on the -Fort Devens VA study (334,336,337) -Studies vary in size -Studies indicate higher effects of -New Orleans VA study (254,255,300) and study rates of post-traumatic stress -West Haven VA study (239,240) populations. stress disorder (PTSD) in -Little Rock VA study (300,329) -Nearly all have been Gulf War veterans compared -Highland Drive (Pittsburgh) VA study performed only in to nondeployed veterans or (197,300) Reserve and National general U.S. population. -Mountain Home, TN study (232-234) Guard populations. -Groups with the most severe -The General Well-being of Gulf War Era stress during the war Service Personnel from the States of appear to have greater risk Pennsylvania and Hawaii (245-247,272) of PTSD than other Gulf War -14th Quartermaster Detachment Study (198,204) veterans. -New Orleans study of Army units carrying out graves registration duty (252,253,317) -Walter Reed Army Institute of Research study of units performing graves registration (152,153) Reproductive -Mississippi National Guard study (195) -Studies vary in size, -Risks of birth defects, outcome -Record-based evaluation of the risk of birth populations examined, either broadly or narrowly studies defects and military service in the Gulf War and generalizability. categorized, were not (36,37) -Large record-based different between -Prevalence of congenital anomalies among study included only Gulf-deployed and children born to Gulf War veterans-a substudy births to active duty nondeployed troops. of Goldenhar syndrome (189) veterans. -Ongoing population-based study has not shown a statistically significant elevation in the rate of Goldenhar syndrome.
SOURCE: Committee, 1996.