[Health status after serving in the Gulf war area. The Danish Gulf War Study]

Increased symptom reporting has been found in American Gulf War Veterans. The symptoms comprise headache, fatigue, impaired short-term memory, sleep disturbances, agitation, respiratory symptoms, muscle and joint pain, diseases of the skin, and intermittent fever. This cross-sectional study was performed to clarify whether a corresponding pattern existed among Danes having served in the Persian Gulf during and mainly after the Gulf War. The investigation took place during the period January 1997 to January 1998 and included 821 subjects who had been deployed in the Persian Gulf within the period August 2, 1990 until December 31, 1997. Of 686 (83.6%) subjects who participated in the study, 95% had been engaged in peace keeping operations after the war. A group consisting of randomly selected age- and gender matched controls, comprised 231 of 400 potential participants (57.7%). All participants underwent clinical and paraclinical examinations, and had an interview based on a previously completed questionnaire. Unspecific symptoms such as repeated fits of headache, fatigue, memory and concentration difficulties, sleep disturbances, agitation, dyspneoa, diseases of the skin, and intermittent fever, were significantly more frequent among Danish Gulf War Veterans (p < 0.05) than among controls; no association was found with respect to muscle and joint pain. The higher symptom prevalence among Gulf War Veterans was observed for conditions which had made their first appearance during or after the Gulf War. The prevalence of diseases and symptoms which had made their first appearance before August 2, 1990 was similar for both groups. This study demonstrated a pattern of diseases and symptoms among Danish Gulf War Veterans consistent with the findings among American Gulf War Veterans. Considering that American Gulf War Veterans were predominantly deployed during the armament phase and the brief war phase, and that Danish Gulf War Veterans were predominantly deployed after the war restoring peace, the results indicate the existence of some common risk factors independent of war action.