New Research Involving Gulf War Veterans Could Provide Insight About ALS
September 22, 2003
Calabasas Hills, CA - New research finds that veterans deployed to the Persian Gulf in the 1991 Gulf War have developed ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) at approximately twice the rate of veterans not deployed, according to a study published in the September 23 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
The ALS Association (ALSA) played a key role in consulting with the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, and the broader scientific community, in the decision to proceed with the research into the incidence of ALS in veterans of the 1991 Gulf War. ALSA recommended neurologists who have expertise in ALS for involvement in the study and also helped identify patient enrollees.
The study sought to identify all occurrences of ALS in the military after the start of the Gulf War. According to lead study author Ronnie D. Horner, PhD, of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, this study found that military personnel deployed to the Persian Gulf experienced almost twice the incidence of ALS than those who were not deployed to the region.
"The Gulf War ALS study should serve as a source of incremental knowledge in a body of future research to learn more about the occurrence of ALS in military veterans," said Mary Lyon, vice president of patient services. "This information, in turn, can lead to a better understanding of ALS and how one or more environmental exposures may contribute to the disease."
Known as Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS kills brain and spinal cord cells that control muscle movement, resulting in gradual muscle wasting and loss of movement. ALS usually strikes those between the ages of 40 and 70 and affects as many as 30,000 Americans at a given time.
"The challenge is in understanding what the environmental exposures may be that are responsible for the higher incidence," said Dr. Lucie Bruijn, ALSA science director and vice president. "The hope of course is that this will provide information about the disease mechanism."
The ALS Association also is collaborating with the Department of Veteran Affairs in a nationwide effort to enroll all living veterans with ALS in the National Registry of Veterans with ALS, the first registry to identify and track the health status of veterans with this progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The purpose of the registry is to identify veterans with ALS, make them aware of emerging treatment studies and offer them the opportunity to participate in research into potential causes of the disease. A scientific review committee of ALS experts will evaluate potential studies and recommend those with merit to the registry members. Dr. Bruijn is participating on this review committee.
The study by Dr. Horner was one of two articles that appear in the September 23 issue of Neurology on the topic of ALS in Gulf War veterans. Another article focuses on age of diagnosis and reports that the rate of ALS in young Gulf War veterans was more than two times greater than the general population. The issue also contained an editorial that expressed concern that the degree of excess risk is not convincing because of the small number of ALS cases.
"The study findings are very suggestive, although, as with all scientific research, there are limitations inherent, such as the small number of ALS cases, that must be considered," Lyon observed. "Whatever controversy that may follow publication of this manuscript should only intensify further inquiry into a possible association between military service and ALS."
"The ALS Association is committed to assisting the Department of Veterans Affairs in identifying veterans who have ALS and who may become the key to a deeper understanding of any links between military service and this disease," Lyon added.
>> Read the Gulf War Study Q & A