Study: Gulf War syndrome doesn't exist
 

Updated: 49 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - There is no such thing as Gulf War syndrome, even though U.S. and foreign veterans of the war report more symptoms of illness than do soldiers who didn't serve there, a federally funded study concludes.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14801666/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well I guess denial is one way to keep from paying disability benefits. :( Maybe its my personal experience that is making me find this unbelievable. Who does the VA think they're kidding?

Hmmm...so it's all in their heads, I guess? Interesting...

That's one explanation, but the epidemiological evidence probably allows for others as well.

The study probably cost more than treating the veterans would have.

They said the same thing about Agent Orange.

Weird.... considering just last year the British and Canadian militaries, as well as national health services, official recognized Gulf War Syndrome... with the then support of VA records and studies...

It's hard for sarcasm to come across in type. ;)

I was just thinking the same thing.

Agent Orange was a little easier to define, I think, because the military knew where and when it had sprayed the chemical agent.

I was also being sarcastic (although I didn't realize you were being) - epidemiological evidence, especially sponsored research, can be pretty shitty science . . . I was digging on 'alternative causation'-type theories.

In theory, yes the military knows where they directly used Agent Orange/Purple... however the secondary or indirect effects are still being hotly argued - at least up here in Canada. Agent Orange/Purple was tested at CFB Gagetown out in New Brunswick, and the local town (and former residents of the base) have been fighting the government for years claiming that soil and groundwater contamination has led to the incredibly high rates of cancer, as well as heart and respiratory problems.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/agentorange/