The Health of Gulf War and Gulf Era Veterans Over Time US Department of Veterans Affairs' Gulf War Longitudinal Study

Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the self-reported physical and mental health over the course over 19 years of follow up of a population-based cohort of Gulf War and Gulf Era veterans. Methods: A multi-modal health survey of 6338 Gulf War and Gulf Era veterans who participated in all three waves of the longitudinal study. Results: Gulf War and Gulf War Era veterans experienced an increase in prevalence of chronic disease over time. The adjusted odds ratios suggest that Gulf War veterans not only had significantly higher odds of reporting medical conditions, but also began to report them earlier. Conclusions: The findings from this analysis suggest that Gulf War veterans are not only more likely than their non-deployed counterparts to report chronic disease, they were more likely to report it earlier.

Automated summary

The study found that Gulf War and Gulf Era veterans experienced an increased prevalence of chronic diseases over the course of a 19-year follow-up, with Gulf War veterans not only more likely to report medical conditions, but also reporting them earlier than their non-deployed counterparts.