December 21, 2001ã

By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2001 – A large epidemiological study
conducted by the departments of Defense and Veterans
Affairs found preliminary evidence that Persian Gulf War
veterans are nearly twice as likely as their non-deployed
counterparts to develop Lou Gehrig's disease.

The disease, amyotrophic (am-ee-o-trow-phic) lateral
sclerosis, or ALS, is often called Lou Gehrig's disease
because the baseball star died from it. It's a fatal
neurological disease that destroys the nerve cells that
control muscle movement. Scientists don't know what causes
ALS, and there is no cure for it.

DoD provided the lion's share of the money for the $1.3
million jointly funded study, which began in March 2000.
The investigation involved nearly 700,000 service members
who served in Southwest Asia during operations Desert
Shield and Desert Storm during the period Aug. 2, 1990 and
July 31, 1991. More than 1.8 million service members who
did not deploy to the Persian Gulf were also interviewed.

"We found 40 cases of Lou Gehrig's disease among veterans
who served in the Gulf area -- almost twice as many
compared to those who didn't serve in the gulf," said VA
Secretary Anthony J. Principi. About half of the 40
veterans have died.

"These findings are of great concern and warrant further
study," Principi noted at a Washington press conference
earlier this month. "I intend to make certain that VA's
medical resources and research capabilities are fully
focused on this issue."

He emphasized that VA will compensate Desert Shield and
Desert Storm veterans with ALS. "And we'll do so quickly,"
he said. "We'll immediately contact those who were
identified by the study and will help them to file new
claims or prosecute existing claims -- and we'll pay
benefits retroactively to the date their claims are filed,"
Principi said.

VA is moving so fast because veterans who have contracted
the disease can't wait for the peer review process to be
completed, the secretary said.

"They need help now, and we'll offer it to them," he said.

Lou Gehrig's is a degenerative disease of the nervous
system affecting the brain cells that carry impulses from
the brain and spinal cord to the muscles. The disorder
results in muscular weakness and the progressive wasting of
muscles. The problem usually starts in the hands and arms
and then spreads to other parts of the body. Patients
eventually have difficulty speaking, swallowing and
breathing.

Early symptoms include slight muscle weakness, clumsy hand
movements and difficulty performing tasks that require
delicate movements of the fingers or hands. Veterans
afflicted with the disease can also experience weakness of
the lips and impairment of the tongue, mouth or voice box.
Other symptoms include uncontrollable twitching of muscles,
stiffness in the legs, and coughing.

Death usually follows diagnosis within three to five years.
VA health officials said even with the increased diagnosis
among Gulf War veterans, the disease is extremely rare,
affecting only about one in 25,000 people. Among Gulf War
veterans, it's one in 17,500. There's no evidence about
higher rates of ALS among other groups of veterans.
However, researchers plan to explore the possibility in
later studies, officials said.

VA is providing free medical care and disability
compensation for veterans who have the disease. Officials
urge veterans or family members who believe they qualify to
contact their nearest VA medical center, regional office or
benefits office.

Survivors of veterans who died from the disease are
eligible for dependency and indemnity compensation,
enrollment in VA's healthcare program for survivors,
educational assistance and vocational assistance, among
other benefits, officials said.