Vets fight new report that calls for halt to research on 'Gulf War Illness'

[Ecoclimber]

Vets fight new report that calls for halt to research on 'Gulf War Illness'

Anthony Hardie, 48, who suffers from Gulf War Illness, is pictured here in 1991. (FoxNews.com)
The scene U.S. forces encountered as they entered Kuwait in February 1991 to end the Iraqi occupation was a hellish inferno, with hundreds of oil wells set ablaze by Saddam Hussein's army to send a choking, black smoke billowing into the skies.

Now, as the troops who served in the Gulf War mark its 25th anniversary on Tuesday, they are fighting a different battle. A new report once again casts doubt on the legitimacy of Gulf War Illness, an ailment afflicting hundreds of thousands of veterans of the war.

"We were appalled at the new Institute of Medicine report, although not surprised," James Binns, former chairman of the federal Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses, told FoxNews.com.

Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommended that "further studies to determine cause-and-effect relationships between Gulf War. After 10 years, 9 IOM reports, the BPS school screwed these wounded warriors royally.

This is what happens if you don't become vigilant and fight the BPS paradigm of psychophysiology. The clash between two paradigms or schools of thoughts and the biomedical reductionist are winning!!

Fortunately, we learned from the nine GWI IOM reports to fight the IOM so that we could have accurate representation by ME/CFS researchers on our panel instead of dentists and psychs. Another Wessely win that destroyed a patient community. Once the momentum starts, it is very hard to reverse.

 

[Justin30]

Sad state of affairs with all these illnesses.

I truly hope the NIH finds something in there ME/CFS stidy and this will spark further investigations into vaccine related and chemical exposure cause of CFS/ME.

The psychobable BS and ineffective methods of treatments for "All" patients has got to stop.

Its time to start looking, testing and experimenting to try to get us well.

 

[shannah]

Vets fight new report that calls for halt to research on 'Gulf War Illness'


This is what happens if you don't become vigilant and fight the BPS paradigm of psychophysiology. The clash between two paradigms or schools of thoughts and the biomedical reductionist are winning!!

Fortunately, we learned from the nine GWI IOM reports to fight the IOM so that we could have accurate representation by ME/CFS researchers on our panel instead of dentists and psychs. Another Wessely win that destroyed a patient community. Once the momentum starts, it is very hard to reverse.

This provides even more reason and motivation to battle to remove Brian Walitt and the other naysayers currently connected with the NIH Post Infectious CFS study.

 

[halcyon]

Pretty sad. And a sobering reminder of what could have (and could still) happen to us if we do not have any say in the people involved in studying our disease. Here is the overall summary of the report, bolding mine:

MOVING FORWARD
Beginning with Volume 1 of the Gulf War and Health series, numerous IOM committees
have reviewed the literature on the health of Gulf War veterans. Although there have been some
variations, generally, the results have been remarkably consistent. What is striking about this and
prior Gulf War and Health committees’ findings is that the health conditions found to be
associated with Gulf War deployment are primarily mental health disorders and functional
medical disorders. What links these conditions is that they have no objective medical diagnostic
tests and are diagnosed based on subjective symptom reporting. These associations emphasize
the interconnectedness of the brain and body.
The committee concludes that it is time research efforts move forward and focus on this
interconnectedness when seeking to improve treatment of veterans for Gulf War illness. Further
exploration of symptom management approaches and treatments for Gulf War illness, even in the
absence of definitive etiologies, is warranted, as is the case with so many other medical
conditions. Researchers have already conducted some clinical trials based on therapies that have
previously shown benefits for conditions characterized by symptoms having unexplained
etiologies. Therefore, Gulf War illness research should be realigned to focus on the treatment of
its complex symptomatology rather than causal mechanisms. Such research should recognize the
growing evidentiary base demonstrating an intricate brain–body relationship and complex
relationships between brain and physical functions. For example, as noted earlier, the acute
response to an exposure that causes stress (physiologic or psychologic) involves interactions
among multiple organs and organ systems, including the brain, gastrointestinal tract, heart and
circulatory system, liver, immune system, thyroid, adrenals and pituitary glands, gonads, bone,
and skin. Acute and chronic health effects of stress on workers in diverse occupations (e.g.,
firefighters, bus drivers, computer operators, emergency services personnel, police officers, and
nurses) have been well documented in recent years. Clearly, a stress response, such as could
occur in a war zone, results in a cascade of physiologic changes that can have profound and
lasting effects on multiple organ systems. To ignore available treatments that may improve the
functioning of any of these organ systems is to do a disservice to our Gulf War veterans.
Recommendation: Future Gulf War research should place top priority on the
identification and development of effective therapeutic interventions and
management strategies for Gulf War illness. The Department of Veterans Affairs
should support research to determine how such treatments can be widely
disseminated and implemented in all health care settings.

How easily those same statements could be applied to us.