C F S  - Information International GWS  -  Gulf  War  Syndrome

GWS  & CFS/ FM

A large number of Gulf War veterans fulfill the CDC-criteria for CFS, and for MCS,  Pollet et al., 1998, Kipen et al., 1999, Mccauley et al., 2002,  and many fulfill criteria for FM,  Bourdette et al., 2001. Cognitive difficulties are worse in GW veterans who fulfill CFS-criteria,  Binder et al., 2001. Australian troups suffer too, kelsall.etal04.txt, kelsall.etal04.htm.

Smoke, mirrors, and Gulf War illness, deahl05.txt

GWS Reports

A remarkable change in perception of previous results and conclusions on the GWS was achieved in 2004 with the report by Dr. Binns et al., bins.etal04.pdf. Key findings of the report: gws.report.key.findings04.txt. Gulf War syndrome 'does exist', press.gws.report.BBC04.txt, press.gws.report.NYtimes04.txt, ‘The report by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses reverses years of government insistence that stress was the primary cause’, press.gws.report.theAge04.txt. One reason for this change of heart among officials is the findings, vandeborne04.txt: Cardiac autonomic dysfunction in gulf war syndrome: ‘Veterans’ hearts don’t rest at night’.

Increased lactate production during subanaerobic bicycle exercise reflects mitochondrial inefficiency, rose.etal04.txt.

Phase II in the British GWS studies, investigating psychiatric illness in GWS,  Ismail et al., 2002 (pdf).  According to the news following this study, Britain (with the exception of Dr. Wessely) has finally accepted the existence of the GWS,  press, GWS, UK, 2002., GWS, report, UK, 2002. Dichotomous factor analysis of symptoms reported by UK and US veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, nisenbaum.etal04.txt. The most recent documentation, ismail.etal07.txt, ismail.etal07.pdf.

GWS and Immunology

A hypothesis involving GWS as an autoimmune disease,  Moss, 2001,  however, a thorough study found no evidence for anti-nuclear antibodies in either GWS or CFS,  Skowera et al., 2002. Cellular and humoral immune abnormalities in gulf war veterans 2 – 8 years after the war was found, vojdani.thrasher04.txt, vojdani.thrasher.04.txt, vojdani.thrasher04.pdf.

Genes

Dr. Natelson’s team in New Jersey has discovered genetic abnormalities in those GWS who has CFS, vladutiu.natelson04.txt, vladutiu.natelson04.pdf.

Vaccines

The Anthrax vaccine has been in media focus for some time with strong opponents,  press, anthrax vaccine, 2000.

Antibodies against Squalene an adjuvant from the vaccines has been found in the blood of the soldiers in the so-called Tulane study,  Asa et al., 2000.  Also in 2004 did this topic emerge, press.gws.squalene04.txt.

Research from the British GWS center also points at vaccines being involved in GWS,  press, 2000,  and  press, GWS, vaccines, UK, 2002.

Chemical Exposure - Neuropathy

Evidence of slight neurological damage/neuropathy was demonstrated,  Peckerman et al., 2000, and in British troops increased incidence of MCS was found,  Reid et al., 2001.  Increased incidence of ALS in Gulf War Veterans was reported,  press, 2001.  However, a regular but small study found no increased risk for ALS and Lupus, but slightly for FM, in Gulf War personnel,  Smith et al., 2000. As of 2002, the neuropathy theory is more documented than ever,  news, GWS, 2002,  and  press, nerve gas, 2002. The New Jersey group has introduced a simple balance test for testing health in GWS, agbaje.etal04.txt.

The more the effects of nerve toxins' including nerve gases are studied, the more apparent it becomes, that these are very serious dangers to the long time health,  press, nerve gas, 2003.

During sleep, activity of the parasympathetic nervous system increases, but in Gulf War vets with the syndrome it does not activate properly. High-frequency spectral power of heart rate variability increased normally 2.2-fold during sleep in controls, but only 1.2-fold in ill veterans, haley.etal04.txt, haley.etal04.pdf, press.haley04.txt.

PTSD – Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

GWS patients suffer from PTSD, which could add to the many symptoms including abnormal cardiovascular responses to stressors, peckerman.etal03.txt, peckerman.etal03.pdf. Female veterans suffer from PTSD, dobie.etal04.txt.

Sceptical Views

GWS has still not been universally accepted as one disease entity,  press, 2000.  However, a historic decision was taken by a coroner of Texas, US, when she named GWS the co-cause of death of a 47 year old former soldier,  press, Texas, 2000.

A biopsychosocial model, claiming negative coping strategies as (one of) the causes of GWS-CFS,  Fiedler et al., 2000.  The Seabee study, San Diego, revealed that GWS-symptoms were related to gender and rank,  Gray et al., 2002.

Causes Excluded

Psychiatric disease cannot explain the symptoms of GWS,  Lange et al., 1999, and the lack of fitness in GW veterans with CFS is not caused by defective mobilisation of the cardiopulmonary system, nagelkirk.etal03.txt.

Exposure to nerve gases was not the cause of the soldiers health problems,  press, 1999,  however a Jan 2003 release from Texas, referring to MRI studies, told a different story,  press, sarin, 2003.

Antibiotics Treatment

A large trial involving treatment with antibiotics doxyclycline for mycoplasma infection concluded, that this was not helpful – more harm than benefits was inflicted, donta.etal04.txt, donta.etal04.pdf.

Cambodia Veterans

A Dutch follow-up study proposed that the 1992-93 Cambodia veterans should be included in the 'GWS family',  De Vries et al., 2001.

Index Welcome CFS case def. Prevalence Prognosis Brain Inflam Post-Polio Hypotheses

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