Gulf veterans more likely to report illness, but death rates no higher

Gulf war veterans are twice as likely as other servicemen and women to report ill health, a government funded study reveals today.

The results of research, seven years after the 1991 conflict, suggest veterans are far more likely to complain of symptoms suggestive of nerve damage or widespread pain. But every one of 95 symptoms covered by questionnaires, from tiredness to convulsions, was more frequently mentioned by those who had served in the Gulf.

The researchers from Manchester University said more investigation was needed into whether vaccinations or pesticides played a part.

But they also concluded that death rates among veterans are no different than other service personnel, and the Ministry of Defence last night insisted: "There is no evidence of a Gulf war syndrome".

It said the latest work reinforced other findings that although the veterans reported more illness, "the overall severity of the symptoms is not high".

Lewis Moonie, a junior defence minister, welcomed the findings and said further research was already under way. "We are determined to continue to address the concerns of Gulf veterans."

The Manchester study, reported in the medical journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, compared the responses of more than 8,000 UK veterans to those of around 4,000 servicemen and women who had not served in the war.

Detailed comparison of exposure to possible risk among the personnel also indicated that severity of symptoms was linked to numbers of inoculations and time spent handling pesticides.

The research team concluded: "There is clear evidence ... that among those who went to the Gulf there are substantial subgroups who feel unwell. Such ill health has been reported after previous conflicts and it may be that this reflects changes in perception resulting from the disruptions of war rather than specific chemical, physical, infective, or psychological exposures."

Khalida Ismail, of the department of psychological medicine at Guy's, King's and St Thomas's school of medicine, London, said in an editorial accompanying the research reports: "Health problems should be anticipated after future conflicts. Research into ill health in Gulf veterans was delayed, which may have fuelled various conspiracy theories."

Sean Rusling, chairman of the National Gulf Veterans and Families Association, said the research pointed more definitively to vaccines and organophosphate pesticides as possible causes than previous studies.

He added: "We brought these to the attention of the ministry and the Commons defence committee in the early days."

But he disputed the suggestion that Gulf veterans were no more likely to die as a result of their service. The study was conducted three years ago, and only last month the Royal British Legion had put the death toll of Gulf veterans at 527.