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Gulf War Illness: Scientific Evidence Leaves No Question That It Is A Real Condition

Posted at 03:15 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2008 by vermont

The following excerpts are from the Executive Summary of a 465 page report titled "Gulf War Illness and the Health of Gulf War Veterans: Scientific Findings and Recommendations" released recently by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses.

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses was appointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in 2002 and directed to evaluate the effectiveness of government research in addressing central questions on the nature, causes, and treatments of Gulf War-related illnesses. According to its charter, the guiding principle for the Committee’s work is the premise that the fundamental goal of all Gulf War-related government research is to improve the health of Gulf War veterans, and the choice and success of federal Gulf War research should be judged accordingly.

The central focus of this report is Gulf War illness, the multisymptom condition that affects veterans of the 1990-1991 Gulf War at significantly elevated rates. Despite considerable government, scientific, and media attention, little was clearly understood about Gulf War illness for many years. Now, 17 years after the war, the extensive body of scientific research and government investigations that is currently available provides the basis for an evidence-based assessment of the nature and causes of Gulf War illness. As described throughout the report, scientific evidence leaves no question that Gulf War illness is a real condition with real causes and serious consequences for affected veterans. Research has also shown that this pattern of illness does not occur after every war and cannot be attributed to psychological stressors during the Gulf War.

You can download the full report in .pdf here:
http://www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/GWIandHealthofGWVeterans_RAC-GWVIReport_2008.pdf

You can go to the VFW Membership Forum and discuss here:
http://www.vfwwebcom.org/forum/index.php/topic,442.0.html