The Department of Defense's Persian Gulf War Registry Year 2000: An Examination of Veterans' Health Status

Abstract

This study examined the health status of 46,633 Persian Gulf War theater veterans who received full clinical evaluations in the Department of Defense's Gulf War Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program (CCEP) as of spring 2000. Clinical data analyzed included demographic information, 15 health symptoms, 19 wartime exposures, and primary and secondary physician-determined medical diagnoses based on International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification, criteria. Findings and discussions are arrayed, by gender, with comparative 1996 data from the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Examination Registry Program. Many veterans reported fewer physical symptoms now than during the time of the Gulf War. Many endorsed symptoms of joint pain, fatigue, weight change, and sleep disturbances. Most reported exposure to diesel fuel and the nerve agent antidote pyridostigmine bromide; far fewer female veterans reported combat involvement. The most frequent primary or secondary diagnosed medical conditions were musculoskeletal/connective tissue diseases, ill-defined conditions, and mental disorders. Female veterans were diagnosed more frequently with mental disorders. Symptom endorsement and diagnosis rates between the CCEP and the Department of Veterans Affairs registry were not dissimilar. Overall, the self-reported general health of veterans with symptoms was much poorer (females had higher rates of "fair to poor" health than males) than that of veterans with no reported symptoms.