gulf war illness - HEALTHY
A prominent condition affecting Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, skin problems, and memory impairment. VA refers to these illnesses as chronic multisymptom illness, medically unexplained illnesses, and Gulf War Veterans' illnesses—all commonly ... A prominent condition afecting Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, skin problems, and memory impairment.
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These illnesses are referred to as chronic multisymptom illness or Gulf War illness (GWI). (10/02/2025) Gulf War illness (GWI) affects 30% of the 700,000 Veterans who served in the Persian Gulf from 1990 to 1991. GWI is associated with a wide range of symptoms including fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, and mood/thought issues, but perhaps upper gastrointestinal illness (UGI) should be added to that list. A prominent condition affecting Gulf War Veterans is a cluster of medically unexplained chronic symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, indigestion, insomnia, dizziness, respiratory disorders, and memory problems.
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VA refers to these illnesses as "chronic multisymptom illness" and "undiagnosed illnesses." A new 5-year study called Gulf War Illness affects multiple systems in the body and includes long-term symptoms such as fatigue, headache, memory difficulties, joint and muscle pain, poor sleep, and problems with breathing and digestion. The disease affects about a third of the nearly 700,000 men and women who served in the Persian Gulf during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. A study that focused on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) included 21 Veterans with Gulf War illness (GWI) and seven controls. In blood tests, researchers observed more lesions and more mitochondrial DNA—that is, extra copies of genes—in Veterans with Gulf War illness, relative to controls without the illness, suggesting excess DNA damage. Researchers find evidence of DNA damage in Vets with Gulf War illness (12/03/2025) Atlanta VA and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center researchers discovered Gulf War illness may be related to reduced energy production in brain cells rather than to neural damage.
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Researchers looked at specialized MRI brain scans of 39 Veterans with GWI and 16 without. The scans showed those with GWI had dysfunctional mitochondria, cell structures responsible for ... The study involved 57 Gulf War Veterans who met the current diagnostic criteria for the illness, and 28 who did not. They were mostly white, male, and middle-aged. The researchers tested the volunteers' blood samples for red, white, and platelet counts, and for more than 60 different proteins. Evidence has suggested that Gulf War illness symptoms are related to structural changes in the brain.
A 2008 report by the VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses linked decreased white matter volume to Gulf War illness. In the new study, the researchers were looking for brain structural damage specifically linked to pain. After the 1991 Gulf War, thousands of returning soldiers began reporting a range of unexplained health problems. Symptoms included chronic fatigue, memory loss, respiratory issues, and persistent pain ...