Association of Gulf War veterans’ total number of health symptoms with reported Gulf War exposures and experiences
| Gulf War exposure | Total number of health symptoms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | Mean | (SD) | Adj ratio of means* | 95% CI | |
| *Ratios of means are adjusted for service type, rank, age (<20, 20–24, 25–34, ⩾35 years), education, and marital status by negative binomial regression. | |||||
| †Dose-response per unit increase in Military Service Experience questionnaire score (p<0.001). | |||||
| ‡170 subjects said they took pyridostigmine bromide tablets but did not know how many. | |||||
| §Dose-response per categorical increase in number of pyridostigmine bromide tablets taken (p<0.001), number of days of anti-malarial tablets taken (p = 0.09), and number of days of anti-biological warfare tablets taken (p<0.001). | |||||
| Deployment completed before air war on 17 January 1991 | |||||
| Yes | 331 | 13.3 | (10.0) | 1.0 | – |
| No | 1089 | 15.1 | (11.4) | 1.1 | 1.0 to 1.2 |
| MSE questionnaire score | |||||
| 0–4 | 320 | 8.7 | (7.4) | 1.0 | – |
| 5–8 | 414 | 11.5 | (8.5) | 1.3 | 1.2 to 1.5 |
| 9–12 | 316 | 15.8 | (10.1) | 1.8 | 1.6 to 2.0 |
| >12 | 368 | 22.6 | (12.5) | 2.5 | 2.3 to 2.8 |
| Dose-response† | – | – | – | 1.07 | 1.06 to 1.07 |
| Pyridostigmine bromide | |||||
| None | 371 | 11.2 | (8.7) | 1.0 | – |
| Any‡ | 726 | 15.8 | (11.7) | 1.4 | 1.2 to 1.5 |
| 1–80 tablets taken | 152 | 14.3 | (11.6) | 1.3 | 1.1 to 1.5 |
| 81–180 tablets taken | 156 | 16.9 | (12.0) | 1.4 | 1.2 to 1.6 |
| >180 tablets taken | 148 | 16.9 | (12.5) | 1.4 | 1.2 to 1.7 |
| Dose-response§ | – | – | – | 1.1 | 1.1 to 1.2 |
| Don’t know | 318 | 16.3 | (11.6) | 1.4 | 1.2 to 1.6 |
| Antimalarials | |||||
| None | 283 | 12.9 | (10.1) | 1.0 | – |
| Any | 586 | 14.8 | (11.6) | 1.1 | 1.0 to 1.2 |
| 1–30 days of tablets taken | 191 | 13.0 | (10.7) | 1.0 | 0.8 to 1.1 |
| 31–90 days of tablets taken | 130 | 13.2 | (10.7) | 1.0 | 0.8 to 1.2 |
| >90 days of tablets taken | 108 | 15.8 | (10.7) | 1.2 | 1.0 to 1.4 |
| Dose-response§ | – | – | – | 1.0 | 1.0 to 1.1 |
| Don’t know | 543 | 15.6 | (11.1) | 1.1 | 1.0 to 1.2 |
| Anti-biological warfare tablets | |||||
| None | 540 | 11.4 | (9.6) | 1.0 | – |
| Any | 81 | 19.4 | (13.6) | 1.6 | 1.4 to 1.9 |
| 1–30 days of tablets taken | 25 | 16.4 | (15.7) | 1.4 | 0.9 to 2.0 |
| 31–90 days of tablets taken | 22 | 17.8 | (8.4) | 1.6 | 1.3 to 2.1 |
| >90 days of tablets taken | 12 | 22.8 | (12.7) | 1.9 | 1.4 to 2.5 |
| Dose-response§ | – | – | – | 1.3 | 1.2 to 1.4 |
| Don’t know | 792 | 16.5 | (11.3) | 1.4 | 1.3 to 1.5 |
| Pesticides | |||||
| No | 1035 | 13.4 | (10.4) | 1.0 | – |
| Yes | 366 | 18.5 | (12.5) | 1.3 | 1.2 to 1.4 |
| Insect repellents | |||||
| No | 862 | 14.1 | (11.0) | 1.0 | – |
| Yes | 503 | 16.0 | (11.4) | 1.2 | 1.1 to 1.3 |
| Chemical weapons area | |||||
| No | 1252 | 14.1 | (10.7) | 1.0 | – |
| Yes | 152 | 19.4 | (13.0) | 1.3 | 1.2 to 1.5 |
| Depleted uranium | |||||
| No | 1184 | 14.7 | (11.2) | 1.0 | – |
| Yes | 218 | 14.2 | (10.0) | 1.0 | 0.9 to 1.1 |