Chronic Multisymptom Illness Affecting Air Force Veterans of the Gulf War

Abstract
SOON AFTER cessation of Gulf War (GW) hostilities, anecdotal reports of illness and speculation over environmental, biological, and chemical hazards led to concerns about a "Gulf War syndrome."1-3 Subsequent studies have shown that GW veterans report numerous chronic nonspecific symptoms, such as fatigue, neurocognitive problems, and musculoskeletal pain, significantly more often than their nondeployed peers.4,5 No widespread disorder has been linked to that conflict, and the etiologic basis and clinical significance of veterans' symptomatology remain unclear.6