WACO, Texas (Nov. 1, 2012) - Baylor University has been
awarded two new federal grants for research on Gulf War illness, the complex
medical condition that affects veterans of the 1991 war. The grants, from the
Office of Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs of the U.S.
Department of Defense, total nearly $1.6 million, and bring current federal
funding for Baylor’s Gulf War research program to over $2.3 million.
“These grants will support our intensive effort to find
answers for the many thousands of veterans still suffering from Gulf War
Illness,” said Lea Steele, Ph.D., the Baylor University epidemiologist who
directs the program. The funding
supports projects to address multiple aspects of the problem, including studies
on the biological processes causing veterans’ symptoms and development of a
nationwide network to advance health research, particularly studies leading to
effective treatments, for Gulf War illness.
Gulf War illness is the term commonly used for the
symptomatic condition that affects military personnel who served in the
1990-1991 Gulf War. Symptoms typically
include some combination of chronic headache, widespread pain, memory and
concentration difficulties, and digestive and other abnormalities - problems
that are not explained by medical or psychiatric diagnoses or by routine
laboratory tests.
Studies indicate at least one in four of the 700,000
military personnel who served in the 1990-1991 war are affected, and that few
have recovered over time.
“Gulf War illness may no longer be as high profile as
health issues from more recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but it remains a
very serious problem for many thousands of ill veterans,” said Steele, who is
research professor in the Baylor Institute of Biomedical Studies. “This work is
especially important here in Central Texas, which is home to one of the largest
concentrations of 1991 Gulf War veterans in the country.”
The federal grants awarded to Baylor support three
separate projects. For the first study,
funded in 2011, Baylor is partnering with Scott & White Healthcare to
provide clinical assessments, including an in-depth look at the brain, the
immune system, and diverse other measures in Gulf War veterans. “This project
should give us a clearer picture of the complex biological processes that drive
veterans’ symptoms,” Steele said. “This
is an essential step for improving the care provided for ill veterans.”
The second project will focus on developing a blood test
to improve the diagnosis of Gulf War illness.
According to Steele, “Gulf War illness is currently defined only on the
basis of veterans’ symptoms. An
objective test to assist in diagnosing this condition would be immensely
beneficial to veterans and their healthcare providers, and can also provide an
important tool to better understand and treat this condition.”
The third project includes a national study to determine
the current health status of veterans across the U.S. who served in the 1991
Gulf War. It will also establish an
information and research network for veterans to receive periodic updates on
health issues, and connect veterans with scientists who are conducting health
studies of 1991 Gulf War veterans.
Steele has conducted research on the health of Gulf War
veterans since 1998. Before joining the
Baylor Institute of Biomedical Studies in 2010, she served as scientific director
for the federal Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses.
“After years of false starts,” she said, “research has now
provided progress in our understanding of Gulf War illness.” She emphasized, however, that despite this
progress, many veterans remain ill, since doctors still lack effective methods
for diagnosing and treating Gulf War illness.
She added that “We believe these answers can be found, and are
especially pleased to be partnering with Scott & White to address this problem,
given its importance for veterans in Central Texas.”
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a
nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having “high research
activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The
university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000
students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international
reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and
scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of
Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in
Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more
than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally
recognized academic divisions. Baylor sponsors 19 varsity athletic teams and is
a founding member of the Big 12 Conference.
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