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William Hallman, Howard Kipen, Michael Diefenbach,
Han Kang, Daniel Wartenberg, Nancy Fiedler, Benjamin Natelson
NJ Center for Env. Health Research, Env. & Occ. Health
Sci. Inst., UMDNJ.Robt Wood John. Med. Sch., Dept of Veterans Affairs
This study of Persian Gulf War Veterans, based on the VA
Registry, examines the level and type of symptomatology and medical history
among a random group of registry members, and then compares that symptom
structure directly to established definitions for various medically unexplained
symptom syndromes, as well as to self reported external risk factors.
An initial factor-analysis derived definition of Gulf War Illness (GWI),
having any 3 of 5 possible symptom factors (fatigue, psychiatric, GI,
musculoskeletal, and throat), classified 68% with GWI and 32% without.
Questions based on the CDC’s CFS definition classifies 27% of the
sample with CFS, and a conservative MCS definition classifies 12.5% with
MCS. Based on a list of 38 Past Medical History (PMH) conditions which
a physician had ever diagnosed, the only medical conditions significantly
associated with GWI were ulcer disease, circulatory problems, and hypertension,
although multiple unexplained symptom diagnoses as well as psychiatric
diagnoses were significantly associated. Eighteen of twenty self-reported
exposures while in the Gulf were modestly significantly correlated with
GWI. Of 16 possible stressful life events, 3 showed higher rates before
the War in those with GWI, four showed higher rates following the War
in those with GWI and 9 did not show significantly higher rates in either
time period. Definitions derived by alternative techniques show similar
relationships. In summary, GWI is poorly correlated with diagnosed physical
medical problems, has substantial overlaps with unexplained symptom syndromes,
and has only limited relationships to self-reports of specific physical
or life stressors.
Keywords: Medically Unexplained Symptoms; Chronic Fatigue
Syndrome; Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Contract Acknowledgment: Department of Veterans Affairs;
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
