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This Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) study compared
the rates of death among Gulf War veterans and other veterans of the same
era. The mortality experience among all GW veterans (695,516) was compared
with that of an approximately 50% random sample (746,291) of all other
veterans. Deaths occurring between May 1, 1991 and September 30, 1993
were recorded. GW veterans (1765 deaths) had a higher total rate of death
than other veterans (1729 deaths). The excess deaths among GW veterans
were entirely due to external causes, including all types of accidents
and motor vehicle accidents specifically. There was no excess of deaths
due to suicide, homicide, or disease. 75% of GW veterans’ deaths
were due to external causes, whereas 63% of other veterans deaths were
due to external causes. The death rate from infectious and parasitic causes
was much lower among GW veterans than among other veterans. For all causes,
the death rates among GW veterans and other veterans were only 44% and
38%, respectively, of the expected death rates in the U.S. population
as a whole. These findings are consistent with the postwar mortality observed
in veterans of previous wars. Limitations of the study are the potential
selection bias related to healthier soldiers deploying to the Gulf, the
inaccuracies of causes of death listed on death certificates, and the
lack of data about relevant risk factors such as smoking, drinking, and
mental disorders. |
