Oversight Hearing On Research and Treatment For Gulf War Illnesses
HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
one hundred tenth congress
first session
September 25, 2007
Gulf War Exposures
COMMITTEE ON VETERANS’ AFFAIRS
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED TENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
JULY 26, 2007
__________
Serial No. 110-38
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-110hhrg37476/html/CHRG-110hhrg37476.htm
2016 COMMITTEE ON GULF WAR AND HEALTH, VOLUME 10
UPDATE OF HEALTH EFFECTS OF SERVING IN THE GULF WAR
Full PDF: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK355346/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK355346.pdf
Gulf War Presumptive Conditions Undiagnosed Illness
VA presumes certain chronic, unexplained symptoms existing for 6 months or more are related to Gulf War service without regard to cause. These “presumptive” illnesses must have appeared during active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of military operations or by December 31, 2021, and be at least 10 percent disabling. These illnesses include:
- Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a condition of long-term and severe fatigue that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other conditions.
- Fibromyalgia, a condition characterized by widespread muscle pain. Other symptoms may include insomnia, morning stiffness, headache, and memory problems.
- Functional gastrointestinal disorders, a group of conditions marked by chronic or recurrent symptoms related to any part of the gastrointestinal tract. Functional condition refers to an abnormal function of an organ, without a structural alteration in the tissues. Examples include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, and functional abdominal pain syndrome.
- Undiagnosed illnesses with symptoms that may include but are not limited to: abnormal weight loss, fatigue, cardiovascular disease, muscle and joint pain, headache, menstrual disorders, neurological and psychological problems, skin conditions, respiratory disorders, and sleep disturbances.
Full Article: https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/gulfwar/medically-unexplained-illness.asp
Take Away: If you or a Veteran you know has been denied compensation for one of the above symptoms and were active duty in the Southwest Asia area of operations; you should contact your local Veterans Service Officer (VSO), Local DAV, VFW, or another office that can assist you with re-submitting your claim based on new evidence (if time has lapsed), or appealing their decision.
The final draft of the National Defense Authorization Act would give the Pentagon authority to decide when unapproved drugs and devices (called somewhat vaguely “agents of war” in the proposed legislation), could be used on military personnel in an emergency. Historical experience suggests that this is a very bad idea that would create both medical and morale problems for the military and obscure the difference between medical intervention and experimentation.
This proposal should be dropped from the legislation.
Full Article: November 2017: Congress: Drop Sec. 716 — FDA Exemption — From NDAA