Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 14, 1994 TAG: 9412140115
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Most of those examined have known ailments, leaving researchers to focus on those still suffering from unknown causes.
``It's clear that we have not identified a single or unique cause or agent which would be responsible for a large number or significant proportion of the illnesses in our Persian Gulf veterans,'' Dr. Stephen Joseph, the assistant defense secretary for health affairs, said at a Pentagon news conference.
In fact, Joseph said, ``the broad spread of symptoms and diagnoses that we're finding points very strongly away from there being a single illness or disease.''
Of the 697,000 veterans of the Persian Gulf War, 11,000 responded to a Pentagon offer to closely examine ailments that might be linked to service in the 1990-91 conflict. In addition, 34,000 have come forward to participate in a study being conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Those totals indicate that about 6 percent of Gulf War veterans have come forward with an ailment they believe is linked to their service.
Of the 11,000 who came forward to participate in the Pentagon's Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program, 1,019 have been fully evaluated. In that group, the Pentagon found that 85 percent had ailments or diseases with known causes. These included circulatory and digestive problems, infections, specific injuries, psychological problems and blood disorders. About a quarter of those fully evaluated reported psychological conditions including depression, headaches, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
Further Defense Department research is focusing on the 15 percent whose ailments could not be diagnosed. These problems included headache and memory loss, fatigue, sleep disorders and intestinal and respiratory ailments.
President Clinton plans to request $15 million to $20 million in his fiscal 1996 budget proposal, due to be presented to Congress next month, to investigate these undiagnosed illnesses further.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon is establishing two treatment centers, one at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, the other at the U.S. Air Force Medical Center and Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, to concentrate on the undiagnosed problems.
Whether or not a single cause for Gulf War ailments is found, Joseph said, the Pentagon is committed to treating all veterans who report medical problems.
Both the Pentagon and the VA have been criticized by veterans groups for ignoring, or making light of, the health complaints of veterans.
Because the veterans being examined came forward complaining of medical problems, the results of the survey can't be extended to the entire population of 697,000 Gulf War veterans, officials cautioned.
The researchers found no evidence of damage caused by any one of several causes that have been subject of speculation among veterans, Joseph said. These include nerve gas or some other chemical weapon, pesticide or tainted inoculation.
by CNB