Press release by King's College London.

Results of UK Gulf War Illnesses Research Published:

Evidence of ill health in those who served

In today’s Lancet (15 January 1999) the King’s Gulf War Illness Research Unit report results of a major epidemiological study, the first of its kind in the UK, on the health of a random sample of around 3000 British servicemen who served in the 1991 Gulf War and who completed a detailed health questionnaire.

The results show that men who served in the Gulf War feel their health to be significantly worse than comparable military personnel who were not deployed there or who served in Bosnia. Most, but not all, have relatively mild disorders and complaints but all symptoms (eg, headache, fatigue, chest pain, poor concentration) and all conditions (eg, asthma, arthritis, dermatitis) were more common; chronic fatigue and post-traumatic stress are about twice as common. Factors which might be responsible, such as petrol fumes, routine vaccinations, and dealing with casualties were associated with poorer health, regardless of deployment. Potential causes confined to the Gulf (eg, protection against chemical and biological weapons) showed the same kind of association with ill health but multiple vaccinations (used in Bosnia and the Gulf) were linked to reported health effects in the Gulf group only. The pattern of symptoms when analysed, was the same in the Gulf, Bosnia and control groups suggesting that there is no specific "Gulf War Syndrome" - although this does not mean that sick veterans do not have a genuine illness.

The study was led by Professors Anthony David and Simon Wessely, from King's College London's School of Medicine. Professor David said, "It is probably impossible to prevent all ill health after active combat duties, but we must do a better job in preparation, support and subsequent monitoring." Professor Wessely added, "Our study provides the first clear proof that going to the gulf has affected the health of our soldiers, even if we cannot identify any specific illness or specific cause."

Further clinical studies, including neuromuscular and immunological tests, are currently underway at King’s College Hospital, London, to determine the causes of the reported ill health, using both ill and well servicemen.

Key points

1 The study was funded by the US Department of Defence after a public "call for proposals" in 1995, and following competitive peer review. The conduct of the study and publication of results is completely independent. The UK Ministry of Defence assisted in the mailing of a questionnaire to servicemen but otherwise has remained uninvolved.

2 Of 29 potential causes enquired about, including pesticides, routine vaccinations, petrochemical fumes and dealing with casualties, all were statistically associated with poorer perceived health in Gulf veterans.

3 Going to the Gulf War did cause a two to three fold increase in general ill health. Despite this, the vast majority of Gulf veterans are functioning well, even if they do not feel in perfect health, although a smaller number are clearly severely affected. There is no single or new illness to explain this i.e. there is no unique 'Gulf War Syndrome' - those who haven't gone to the Gulf can develop identical symptoms, but the symptoms are more likely to develop in those who have.

4 Until more is known of the mechanisms underlying these findings, specific recommendations cannot be given. It should also be noted that these results do not apply to civilian immunisation programmes. Better monitoring and surveillance of those involved in active service, and better post conflict management, must now happen.

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