- Regarding one of the most important issues of our time
-- The "Gulf War Syndrome" -- the GAO recently referenced the
wonderful work of Robert Haley from the Southwestern Medical School in
Dallas, Texas. An epidemiologist, Haley conducted one of the most extensive
studies of this syndrome in 1997.
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- In the 2004 GAO report released June 1, chemicals --specifically
organophosphates -- are found to be the overriding cause of the symptoms
of "Gulf War Syndrome" a devasting disorder affecting untold
numbers of soldiers returning from the first war in Iraq (the cards are
still out on the latest war there).
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- [excerpted from the GAO report **see reference below]
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- "....many of the approximately 700,000 veterans
of the Persian Gulf War have experienced undiagnosed illnesses since the
war's end in 1991. Some fear they are suffering from chronic disabling
conditions because of wartime exposures to vaccines, as well as chemical
warfare agents, pesticides, and other hazardous substances with known or
suspected adverse health effects...
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- ...We found some studies that suggest an association
between chemical warfare agent exposure and Gulf War illnesses. Each of
these studies has both strengths and limitations. In one privately funded
study of Gulf War veterans, Haley and colleagues reported an association
between a syndromic case definition of Gulf War illnesses, based upon the
ill veterans symptomatic complaints, with exposure to chemical warfare
agents.
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- Factor analysis of the data on symptoms was used to derive
a case definition identifying six syndrome factors. Three syndrome factor
variants found to be the most significant were (1) impaired cognition,
(2) confusion-ataxia, and (3) arthro-myo-neuropathy.
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- ...Several published scientific studies of exposure involving
Gulf War suggest an association between low-level exposure to chemical
warfare agents and chronic illnesses..." (What follows this paragraph
is a bibliography of Robert Haley, Tom Kurt and others' studies and articles).
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- The GAO report contains criticism of the DoD and the
CIA's conclusions regarding GWS and suggests that plumes of Sarin nerve
gas may have contributed to the troops symptoms.
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- While the possibility of Gulf War troops low-level exposure
to Sarin nerve toxin (an organophosate) may be crucial to understanding
what has happened to the Gulf War veterans -- a much broader and more devastating
issue implied from the Haley, Kurt, Fleckenstein et al. studies begs immediate
attention.
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- Both the GAO report and the research by Haley et al.
(exerpted below) indicate that the likely cause of the neurological damage
suffered by certain Gulf War troops was organophosphate poisoning.
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- Two factors are emphasized in the research as to the
cause: (1) those individuals affected by neurological symptoms (brain damage)
show a genetic deficiency in an enzyme (PON-1/PON-Q) which made them unable
to defend against the effects of organophosphates, and (2) the Haley study
concentrates upon pesticides (insect repellents containing DEET, flea collars
on boots, pesticides sprayed in the air often to control sand flies) and
the synergistic interaction with pyridostigmine bromide (PB) as the major
trigger in the "syndrome" in those studied. (Of course other
organophosphate exposure would add to the effects).
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- These two factors should set off alarm bells in every
community across the nation. The implications are enormous!
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- In "Brain Abnormalities in Gulf War Syndrome: Evaluation
with 1H MR Spectroscopy1" (http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/215/3/807)
Haley et al. reports: "....Not only was the elevated exposure risk
to these potential neurotoxins documented in the symptomatic veterans,
but a biochemical explanation for heightened susceptibility to these chemicals
was demonstrated in the same group of Gulf War veterans (5). Specifically,
the symptomatic veterans had substantially lower blood levels of paraoxonase-1
(PON1) type Q (PON-Q) arylesterase than did the control subjects; PON-Q
is a genetically controlled isoenzyme that hydrolyzes organophosphate chemical
warfare nerve agents and some pesticides (5).
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- While it is critical that our troops and veterans are
treated and protected from future exposures or further exposures to organophosphates,
the Gulf War troops are military volunteers -- a cross-section of the general
population.
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- This means that very likely a similar percentage of **non-military**
individuals from the general population also have low levels of the PON-Q
enzyme or genetic susceptibility and therefore could also be suffering
the same neurological damage when exposed to even low levels of organophosphates
-- pesticides.
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- With a general increase in the use of pesticides in the
home and outdoors and the increase of use of vector spraying for mosquitos,
those persons with this disorder may be suffering from serious neurological
damage as a result of continuous low-level exposure to pesticides and be
totally unaware of the factors involved in their symptoms.
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- This question must be addressed: Is the "Gulf War
Syndrome" the same disease process as what has been euphemistically
termed "Environmental Illness" which includes Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity (MCS), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Fibromyalgia?
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- It has taken over a decade for any recognition of chemical
(organophosphate) exposure as a trigger for these devasting and life-altering
symptoms/disease in our military troops. How long must the general population
have to wait before being informed about their possible predisposition
to this brain-damaging disease?
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- How long will it take before the absolutely horrendous
damage to the population as a whole (other than this 'syndrome') brought
about by the use of pesticides is publicly acknowledged?
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- The total effects of this 'scourge' on individual lives
and our society are already devastating...measured in costs of pain, lost
incomes, growing health care costs not to mention military readiness and
economic growth.
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- Further independent research into the effects of pesticides
on human beings (with and without this genetic disorder)-- from insect
repellents so frequently used on children going out to play... to pesticides
sprayed in homes and schools... to the continual aerial and truck spraying
of insecticides in our air -- must be promoted and funded immediately if
we are to stave off this public catastrophe.
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- ===========
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- See http://www.rense.com/general39/scourge.htm for further
information on the effects of pesticide vector spraying for West Nile Virus
on the public.
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- ===========
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- http://radiology.rsnajnls.org/cgi/content/full/215/3/807
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- Robert W. Haley, MD et al., "Brain Abnormalities
in Gulf War Syndrome: Evaluation with 1H MR Spectroscopy1"
-
- ===========
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- http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/277/3/231?ijkey=2c3844de2b
503634ac151966be0f47fc235fbadc&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha
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- R. W. Haley and T. L. Kurt, "Self-reported exposure
to neurotoxic chemical combinations in the Gulf War. A cross-sectional
epidemiologic study", JAMA Vol. 277 No. 3, January 15, 1997
-
- ===========
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- Robert Haley, MD, Epidemiology Division, Department of
Internal Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas,
75235-8874, USA.
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- http://www.swmed.edu/home_pages/epidemi/gws/
-
- ===========
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- http://reform.house.gov/UploadedFiles/GAO%2520Rhode
s%2520Testimony%2520June%25201,%25202004.pdf
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- United States General Accounting Office Testimony Before
the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International
Relations, Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives GAO
GULF WAR ILLNESSES
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- "DOD's Conclusions About U.S. Troops' Exposure Cannot
Be Adequately Supported" Statement of Keith Rhodes, Chief Technologist
Center for Technology and Engineering, Applied Research and Methods
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