#Middlebury #Veterans #GulfWarIllness
VETERANS POST
By Freddy Groves
The Department of Veterans Affairs has just hooked up with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to do a five-year study of Gulf War Illness (GWI). The war (Operation Desert Storm/Operation Desert Shield) was from August 1990 to June 1991, and there are nearly 200,000 veterans still suffering the effects. Perhaps you can help.
The symptoms of GWI include headaches, rashes, gastro problems, muscle and joint pain and more. The in-depth project will be split, with the VA recruiting veterans to participate in the study (veterans who do and don’t have GWI) and the NIH doing the research. To be noted, the NIH’s description page for the study states in bold type, “Participants in the study will not receive treatment.” Instead, it’s all testing that will hopefully lead to treatments.
If you’re interested in participating, you must be between the ages of 48 and 70. You’ll be admitted to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for 14 days, during which time you’ll be tested from one end to the other. Some tests might be performed as outpatient.
To join the program, you’ll first do a phone interview, and your existing medical records will be checked. They’ll do an at-home visit to check your vitals and review your medical questionnaires. If selected, you’ll check into the clinic, where you’ll undergo tests that include physical exam and strength testing, questions about food preferences, memory tests, wearing a heart monitor, stress tests on a stationary bike and much more. Once back at home, you might be asked to wear a monitor for a little while and to keep a health diary.
It doesn’t cost anything to be in the study; you’ll be compensated, and your travel may be paid for. And, since the question will come up, if you’ve had Covid, you can’t be in the study. They’ll test you for antibodies during the screening.
If you have questions about the study, send an email to the NIH at gwiindepth@ninds.nih.gov. For the VA, send email to vhawas.indepth@va.gov.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
