Studies find Gulf War illnesses linked to toxins.

The mysterious illnesses suffered by Gulf War veterans appear to be linked to exposure to toxins, including nerve gas, according to a report published by the VA's Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness.

The report released in November said, "A growing body of research indicates that all important component of Gulf War veterans' illnesses is neurological in character" and that evidence points to "a probable link between exposure to neurotoxins and the development of Gulf War veterans' illnesses."

Those findings contradicted earlier conclusions that psychiatric illness or combat-related stress were most likely explanations for a variety of illnesses among veterans of the 1990-1991 war.

Hundreds of thousands of veterans of the Gulf War have experienced a wide range of illnesses they believe are linked to the war. These include chronic fatigue, loss of muscle control, gastrointestinal ailments, migraines, dizziness, and memory problems.

The 11-member panel spent the past two years reviewing recent Studies Which suggest that veterans illnesses are neurological and apparently are linked to exposure to neurotoxins such as the nerve gas sarin, the anti-nerve gas drug pyridostigmine bromide, and pesticides that affect the nervous system.

"For the men and women whose illnesses and disabilities have been dismissed as imagined or brought tin by stress, this report offers a measure of vindication," said National Service Director Randy Reese. "It also gives them some hope that effective treatments may some day be available."

The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Illness said scientists are making good progress toward developing treatments for veterans' illnesses but that more government help is needed. The committee suggested spending $60 in million over the next four years to monitor and research the health of veterans and their children.

In announcing the release of the committee's report, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J. Principi said the VA will set aside up to $15 million a year for Gulf War illness research. With the stipulation the money not pay for studies that propose stress as the only explanation for the ailments.

The VA's funding commitment represents the department's single largest set-aside of research funding for a specific area of investigation and could constitute up to nearly 20% of VA's new research grant awards for fiscal year 2005. Over the past decade, the VA has spent more than $50 million for research into Gulf War illnesses, and Much of that work is still ongoing.

"Gulf War veterans are encountered to contact their nearest DAV National Service Office for information arid assistance with claims for disability compensation for illnesses related to their service in Southwest Asia," said Reese.