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ALS Tied to Military Service
Study shows higher rate in Gulf War veterans
 Related Resources
• Feature article describing ALS
• Internet links to ALS resources
 
 From Other Guides
• Internet links about Gulf War
• Feature article on Gulf War Syndrome
• Photos of the Gulf War
 
 Elsewhere on the Web
• MSNBC article about the study
 

Mary Kugler, MSN, RN,BC
Guide to Rare/Orphan Diseases

Advocates for veterans have been saying it for years: Gulf War veterans developed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease) at higher rates than normal. The disease, which typically affects people 45 and older, was occurring in young veterans. Two small-scale studies, however, failed to show a connection to Gulf War service.

Why there is concern
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a debilitating, fatal disease with no cure. It causes the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that are responsible for movement to gradually break down. Over time, the person gradually loses the ability to move his muscles, until he can no longer breathe on his own. His vision, hearing, and mind are not affected, however.

The government does its own study
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, working with the Department of Defense, looked at military records, health records, and interviewed veterans and their families to determine how many cases of ALS had occurred in military personnel. The resulting study evaluated the 700,000 military personnel who served in the Persian Gulf versus a group of 1.8 million military personnel who were deployed in the U.S. or elsewhere.

The findings were:

  • 40 cases of ALS in the 700,000 Gulf veterans (a rate of 6.7 per million)
  • 67 cases in the other 1.8 million veterans (a rate of 3.5 per million)
  • Air Force Gulf War veterans 2.7 times more likely to develop ALS than non-Gulf veterans
  • Army Gulf War veterans 2 times more likely to develop ALS than non-Gulf veterans
  • Navy and Marine Gulf War veterans had same rate as non-Gulf veterans

    Military announcement a first
    Anthony J. Principi, Secretary of Veterans Affairs, announced the findings of the study in December 2001. "In today's battlefield, we need to recognize that nontraumatic illnesses and injuries can be as deadly as a bullet wound," Principi said in a statement. "And where we can show scientific evidence of an association between service and illness, we must compensate veterans with that illness."

    The announcement was an about-face for the military, which has long refuted Gulf War veterans' complaints of illnesses related to their service in the war. "It's just a shame it has taken so long," stated Representative Christopher Shays, a Connecticut Republican, in an interview. "There has been an incredible reluctance on the part of the Defense Department to acknowledge any gulf war illness. So I consider this a huge announcement," he added.

    Just the first step
    This part of the study only looked at the patterns of illness among the veterans, not why it happened. The second part of the study will look for unique environmental exposures that might be causes of ALS. The third part will analyze veterans' DNA to look for genetic markers for ALS.

    Researchers hope that this study will, in the end, provide insight into what actually causes ALS, in the hopes of identifying ways to treat it and, ultimately, prevent it.

    Information for this article was taken from:
    - "Gulf War vets face higher risk of Lou Gehrig's." MSNBC, December 10, 2001.
    - "Gulf War Veterans at Increased Risk of ALS." Reuters Medical News, December 11, 2001.
    - Stolberg, S.G. "U.S. Reports Disease Link to Gulf War." The New York Times, December 11, 2001.
    - Szegedy-Maszak, M. "A Gulf War legacy." USNews & World Report, December 24, 2001.

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