The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) has released numerous literature reviews of Gulf War research.
Most of these reports include conclusions regarding the strength of association between deployment to the Gulf War or Gulf War exposures and particular health outcomes. The five categories are:
- Sufficient evidence of a causal relationship, that is, the evidence is sufficient to conclude that between being deployed to the Gulf War causes a health outcome.
- Sufficient evidence of an association; that is, a positive association has been observed between deployment to the Gulf War and a health outcome in humans.
- Limited/suggestive evidence of an association; that is, some evidence of an association between deployment to the Gulf War and a health outcome in humans exists.
- Inadequate/insufficient evidence to determine whether an association exists; that is, available studies are of insufficient quality, validity, consistency or statistical power to permit a conclusion regarding the presence or absence of an association.
- Limited/suggestive evidence of no association; that is, several adequate studies are consistent in not showing an association between deployment and a health outcome.
None of these NASEM panels have been allowed by their VA-contracted charter to include animal studies when making these strength of association conclusions. Additionally, many smaller pilot studies have also been similarly excluded. And, there are no presumed exposures for Gulf War veterans — just a long list passed by Congress for VA and NASEM to consider but none have yet been conceded for all Gulf War troops.
Not surprisingly, therefore, the Gulf War and Health series has not led to new presumptive conditions related to Gulf War Illness* for the purpose of VA service-connected disability claims. (*Note: In 2010, VA announced — based on the 2006 recommendations in Gulf War and Health, Volume 5 — that nine rare endemic infectious diseases would be presumptive for veterans with qualifying Southwest Asia or Afghanistan service.)
This complete list of all conditions considered by NAS in the Gulf War and Health series, comprising over 400 exposures, has been compiled by Veterans for Common Sense along with their NAS categories of association — essentially none* of which have been added as presumptive conditions for Gulf War veterans’ VA claims for service-connected disability compensation:
Conditions Associated with Gulf War exposures – consolidated NAS-IOM listing (Contact VCS for the Excel spreadsheet)
Presumptive conditions added from the Gulf War & Health series:
*None, save for 9 rare endemic infectious diseases, which affected very, very few Gulf War veterans, and for multi symptom illness conditions that had already been made presumptive by Congress.
Gulf War & Health volumes:
Gulf War and Health: Volume 11: Generational Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (November 28, 2018)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 10: Update of Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (February 11, 2016)
Considerations for Designing an Epidemiologic Study for Multiple Sclerosis and other Neurologic Disorders in Pre and Post 9/11 Gulf War Veterans (December 11, 2015)
Chronic Multisymptom Illness in Gulf War Veterans: Case Definitions Reexamined (March 12, 2014)
Gulf War and Health, Volume 9: Long-Term Effects of Blast Exposures (February 13, 2014)
Gulf War and Health: Treatment for Chronic Multisymptom Illness (January 23, 2013)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 8. Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (April 9, 2010)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 7. Long-term Consequences of Traumatic Brain Injury (December 3, 2008)
Epidemiologic Studies of Veterans Exposed to Depleted Uranium: Feasibility and Design Issues (July 30, 2008)
Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Depleted Uranium (July 30, 2008)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 6. Physiologic, Psychologic, and Psychosocial Effects of Deployment-Related Stress (November 15, 2007)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 5. Infectious Disease (November 3, 2006)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 4. Health Effects of Serving in the Gulf War (September 12, 2006)
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Diagnosis and Assessment (2006)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 3: Fuels, Combustion Products, and Propellants (December 20, 2004)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 2: Insecticides and Solvents (February 18, 2003)
Gulf War Veterans: Treating Symptoms and Syndromes (July 26, 2001)
Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces
Detecting, Characterizing, and Documenting Exposures (2000)
Gulf War and Health: Volume 1. Depleted Uranium, Sarin, Pyridostigmine Bromide, and Vaccines (January 1, 2000)
National Center for Military Deployment Health Research (1999)
Strategies to Protect the Health of Deployed U.S. Forces
Medical Surveillance, Record Keeping, and Risk Reduction (1999)
Gulf War Veterans: Measuring Health (1999)
Adequacy of the VA Persian Gulf Registry and Uniform Case Assessment Protocol (1998)
Measuring the Health of Persian Gulf Veterans Workshop Summary (1998)
Adequacy of the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program
Nerve Agents (1997)
Adequacy of the Comprehensive Clinical Evaluation Program
A Focused Assessment (1997)
Health Consequences of Service During the Persian Gulf War: Recommendations for Research and Information Systems (January 1, 1996)
Health Consequences of Service During the Persian Gulf War
Initial Findings and Recommendations for Immediate Action (1995)
