Geographical Pattern Eyed in 1991 Gulf War Cases of ALS

[flashl]

Environmental link to chemical rockets destroyed at one Iraq site focus of investigations

Posted July 25, 2008

FRIDAY, July 25 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers are looking into possible geographical reasons why 1991 Gulf War veterans have developed the fatal neurological disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at twice the rate of the general population.

Of the 135 diagnosed Gulf Vet cases of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in the first 11 years after the war, only three had a family history of the disease. Researchers speculate this may indicate an environmental cause.

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"There are no reports on the occurrence of ALS among veterans of other conflicts," researchers from Duke University, the University of Cincinnati and the Durham Veterans Administration Medical Center wrote in the online journal NeuroToxicology. "There is only a single report that suggests ALS may arise from environmental exposures associated with military service, per se."

A new report, published in the July issue of Neuroepidemiology, found that the cause of the ALS may have something to do with a soldiers' deployment in the Gulf between August 1990 and July 1991.

[unhappycamper]

1. Yes, and veterans endure homelessness at twice the 'normal' rate. n/t