Sent in by Veterans News and Information Services
EL PASO VA HEALTH
CARE CENTER NEWS
By Everett Ray Perdue
VA Launches Major Studies on Treatment for Gulf War Veterans
VA is leading a $20 million effort with the Department of defense to conduct large-scale controlled trails of treatment for the symptoms of undiagnosed illnesses of Gulf war veterans. These include fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and problems with memory and thinking. Because neither the cause nor a underlying disease process has been identified, doctors have treated veterans for their symptoms.
"Despite the lack of a comprehensive case definition for the symptom complex often called Gulf War veterans' illnesses, VA has identified subgroups of patients for whom potential treatments are appropriate," said Dr. John R. Feussner, VA Chief Research and Development Officer and chairperson of the Research Working Group of the Persian Gulf War Veterans Coordination Board.
An advisory panel of independent scientific experts approved the trails. Another international panel of experts, including scientists from the National Institute of Health, universities, the Department of Defense and VA, was consulted in the design of the research protocols.
Vol. IV, No.12
El Paso, Texas
December 1998
