 Quack Barrett's *OPINIONS* Exposed
(scroll to bottom to see what Quaxk Quack has WRONGLY and FALSELY posted on
his
sicko websites)
Toxic chemicals caused Gulf War Syndrome: report
AFP
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.a..44,11106300%255
E31477,00.html
October 18, 2004
A US government-appointed panel has concluded that toxic chemical exposure a
nd
not wartime stress caused neurological damage and illness suffered by many
veterans of the 1991 Gulf War, The New York Times reported Friday.
"The Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses concludes i
n
its draft report that 'a substantial proportion of Gulf War veterans are ill
with multisymptom conditions not explained by wartime stress or psychiatric
illness'," the daily quoted a draft report as saying.
The paper said the draft report cited a growing body of research on effects
of
exposure to low levels of neurotoxins suggesting that many veterans' symptom
s
have a neurological cause and that there is a "probable link" to exposure to
neurotoxins.
Among the potential sources cited were "sarin, a nerve gas, from an Iraqi
weapons depot blown up by American forces in 1991; a drug, pyridostigmine
bromide, given to troops to protect against nerve gas; and pesticides used t
o
protect soldiers in the region," the daily reported.
Doctor Joyce Lashof, the chair of a presidential advisory group that reporte
d
in 1996 that there was no causal link between toxic exposure and the veteran
s'
symptoms, told the newspaper Thursday that she had not seen the new draft
report.
But she said she was "open to changing her views if the findings were based
on
solid new research and not advocacy by veterans' groups," the Times reported
.
"We certainly weren't sure that our report was the definitive answer," Lasho
f
told the Times. "It was based on the best evidence available at the time."
The chemicals cited in the new study belong to the group called
acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, which can cause a range of symptoms from pa
in
to fatigue, diarrhea and cognitive impairment. Committee members told the
Times, which obtained a copy of the draft, that one changes could be made in
it
but that basic scientific findings would not change.
Some 22,000 US service men and women, out of the 700,000 who participated in
the first Gulf War, are still suffering from a host of chronic and debilitat
ing
illnesses more than a decade after they returned from the region, according
to
US officials.
"Gulf War Syndrome" is a term popularly applied to a vast range of symptoms
among veterans of the 1990-91 conflict in Iraq, from memory loss, chronic
fatigue and dizziness to swollen joints, depression and lack of concentratio
n.
About 100,000 US troops as well as thousands of British, Canadian and French
troops who took part in the operation against Baghdad to liberate Kuwait hav
e
reported one or more of these problems.
To date, researchers had been unable to pinpoint the cause, or causes of the
condition and there is no approved therapy to treat it.
Speculation about the origin of the illnesses has focused on the veterans'
exposure to chemical and biological agents and pesticides during the Gulf Wa
r.
Some 158,000 US troops received shots designed to protect them from the
biological warfare agents, anthrax and botulinum toxoid, for example.
A combination of behavioral therapy and graded exercise has been shown to he
lp
sufferers of other multisymptom chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue
syndrome and fibromyalgia, prompting the Veterans Administration to explore
its
benefits for veterans with Gulf War Syndrome.
=======
Quack Barrett:
Fad Diseases
People tend to assume that sensational terms represent reality. Multiple
chemical sensitivity and Gulf War syndrome are prime examples. The existence
of
a name does not necessarily mean that there is a corresponding real event.
However, spurious allegations may appear plausible if associated with common
symptoms. of human existence, especially if depicted by an expert.
===
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences has concluded
that the term "Gulf War Syndrome" is inappropriate because it implies a
singular disorder exclusive to Gulf War veterans [2,3]. Although no such
disease pattern has been found, many people are blaming Gulf War service for
cancers, birth defects, multiple sclerosis, Lou Gehrig's disease, lupus
erythematosus, depression, and a long list of other health problems.
=====
Many veterans clearly are experiencing medical difficulties connected to the
ir
service in the Gulf War. Continuing to provide clinical care to evaluate and
treat their service-connected illnesses is vital. However, a causal link
between a single factor and the symptoms they report remains elusive.
The most frequently reported symptoms are joint pain, fatigue, rash, and mem
ory
loss, all of which are also common in the general adult population in the
United States.
Veterans deployed to the Gulf reported more symptoms than did other veterans
.
However, no consistent laboratory or physical findings have been found in
groups with increased symptoms.
Baseline data on military populations were not available, but it appears tha
t
the incidence of birth defects [normally about three percent of the gene
ral
population] was not different among deployed and nondeployed groups.
After the war, Gulf War veterans had higher death rates from motor vehicle
accidents and other external causes, but their death rates from all illnesse
s,
including infectious diseases and cancer, have been the same or lower.
Objective tests of memory, and concentration were the same or slightly lower
among Gulf War groups, but self-perceptions of memory dysfunction were great
er.
[5]
====
The key question is whether stress was a significant causal factor in many o
f
the ill-defined Gulf War cases. The Presidential Advisory Committee conclude
d
that it was.
Current scientific evidence does not support a causal link between the sympt
oms
and illnesses reported today by Gulf War veterans and exposures while in the
Gulf region to the following environmental risk factors assessed by the
committee: pesticides, chemical warfare agents, biological warfare agents,
vaccines, pyridostigmine bromide, infectious diseases, depleted uranium,
oil-well fires and smoke, and petroleum products.
The big losers in all of this are the ailing veterans whose confusion about
what happened prevents them from getting on with their lives.
(note the word *confusion*)
Many Americans believe that exposure to common foods and chemicals makes the
m
ill. This book is about people who hold such beliefs but are wrong. Their
misbeliefs can be very costly-to health and/or pocketbook-not only for them,
but for employers, insurance companies, and others who pay indirectly
(protecting $$$$$$ NOT ill people)
This 220-page book spotlights the "environmental" conditions for which diet
and/or chemical exposure are falsely blamed
(more lies from books by Barrett)
Mercury-amalgam toxicity is said to be a problem for everyone with "silver"
tooth fillings. Promoters of this concept claim that significant amounts of
mercury escape from the amalgam and poison the body and can cause multiple
sclerosis and a long list of other health problems. The authors debunks thes
e
claims and tell how the leading anti-amalgamist had his dental license revok
ed.
(Sue Happy's speciality, wasting taxpayers money)
Gulf War syndrome is a controversial though ill-defined condition said to
involve thousands of Gulf War veterans.
Get ready,,,,,,,,,here it comes:
Many recipients of these diagnoses wind up being financially exploited as we
ll
as mistreated. In addition, insurance companies, employers, educational
facilities, homeowners, other taxpayers, and ultimately all citizens are bei
ng
burdened by dubious claims for disability and damages.
Go figure.
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