Epidemiologic Research
Epidemiologic studies have been performed evaluating many suspected etiologic factors for Gulf War illness as seen in veteran populations. Below is a summary of epidemiologic studies of veterans displaying multisymptom illness and their exposure to suspect conditions from the 2008 U.S. Veterans Administration report.
A fuller understanding of immune function in ill Gulf War veterans is needed, particularly in veteran subgroups with different clinical characteristics and exposure histories. It is also important to determine the extent to which identified immune perturbations may be associated with altered neurological and endocrine processes that are associated with immune regulation. Very limited cancer data have been reported for U.S. Gulf War veterans in general, and no published research on cases occurring after 1999. Because of the extended latency periods associated with most cancers, it is important that cancer information be brought up to date and that cancer rates be assessed in Gulf War veterans on an ongoing basis. In addition, cancer rates should be evaluated in relation to identifiable exposure and location subgroups.
| Epidemiologic Studies of Gulf War Veterans: Association of Deployment Exposures With Multisymptom Illness | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preliminary Analysis (no controls for exposure) | Adjusted Analysis (controlling for effects of exposure) | Clinical Evaluations | |||||
| GWV population in which association was assessed | GWV population in which association was statistically significant | GWV population in which association was assessed | GWV population in which association was statistically significant | Dose response effect identified? | |||
| Pyridostigmine bromide | 10 | 9 | 6 | 6 | ✓ | ||
| Pesticides | 10 | 10 | 6 | 5 | ✓ | ||
| Physiological Stressors | 14 | 13 | 7 | 1 | |||
| Chemical Weapons | 16 | 13 | 5 | 3 | |||
| Oil Well Fires | 9 | 8 | 4 | 2 | ✓ | ||
| Number of Vaccines | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ✓ | ||
| Anthrax Vaccine | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Tent Heater Exhaust | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |||
| Sand/Particulates | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |||
| Depleted Uranium | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | |||
Read more about this topic: Gulf War Syndrome
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