Table 1 Prevalence (%) of symptoms present in the past month across UK Study: Gulf, Bosnia and Era Cohorts
From: Dichotomous factor analysis of symptoms reported by UK and US veterans of the 1991 Gulf War
During the past month have you suffered from: | Gulf* N = 3,454 | Bosnia N = 1,979 | Era N = 2,577 |
|---|---|---|---|
Feeling unrefreshed after sleep | 56.1 | 32.5 | 31.5 |
Irritability/outburst of anger | 54.7 | 32.2† | 25.5 |
Headaches | 54.2 | 36.5 | 36.8 |
Fatigue | 51.1 | 26.9 | 28.2 |
Sleeping difficulties | 47.8 | 30.5 | 28.3 |
Forgetfulness | 44.7 | 19.4† | 16.8 |
Loss of concentration | 39.5 | 16.6 | 15.0 |
Joint stiffness | 39.3 | 20.9 | 22.8 |
Flatulence or burping | 34.0 | 15.7† | 21.0 |
Pain without swelling or redness in several joints | 31.7 | 13.7 | 14.2 |
Feeling distant or cut off from others | 27.9 | 14.4† | 10.3 |
Avoiding doing things/situations | 26.5 | 12.4† | 10.1 |
Feeling jumpy/easily startled | 24.7 | 12.9† | 9.4 |
Chest pain | 24.5 | 12.5 | 11.6 |
Tingling in fingers and arms | 24.3 | 8.4† | 10.9 |
Night sweats that soak the bed sheets | 23.7 | 12.0† | 9.5 |
Itchy or painful eyes | 22.9 | 10.5 | 11.9 |
Sore throat | 22.3 | 15.1 | 13.6 |
Distressing dreams | 21.6 | 13.1† | 9.0 |
Numbness or tingling in fingers or toes | 21.4 | 8.1† | 10.9 |
Ringing in the ears | 20.5 | 10.8 | 12.5 |
Wheezing | 20.4 | 10.1 | 9.7 |
Diarrhea | 20.2 | 11.1 | 11.9 |
Unable to breathe deeply enough | 20.0 | 9.8† | 7.8 |
Unintended weight gain greater than 10 lbs | 18.7 | 10.8† | 8.5 |
Dry mouth | 17.4 | 9.1† | 6.6 |
Loss of interest in sex | 17.3 | 7.1 | 6.7 |
Dizziness | 17.0 | 7.0 | 7.7 |
Tingling in legs and arms | 16.8 | 5.4† | 6.8 |
Rapid heartbeat | 16.4 | 7.5 | 7.6 |
Feeling short of breath at rest | 15.3 | 6.5 | 5.5 |
Increased sensitivity to noise | 15.0 | 6.3 | 5.6 |
Increased sensitivity to light | 14.7 | 6.0 | 5.8 |
Stomach cramp | 14.6 | 7.8 | 7.5 |
Passing urine more often | 14.3 | 4.9† | 6.3 |
Persistent cough | 13.9 | 7.8† | 5.8 |
Loss or decrease in appetite | 13.3 | 8.5† | 5.2 |
Intolerance to alcohol | 11.9 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
Shaking | 11.6 | 5.3† | 3.7 |
Constipation | 10.9 | 5.9 | 5.2 |
Faster breathing than normal | 10.4 | 4.4 | 3.3 |
Feeling disoriented | 10.3 | 3.2 | 3.5 |
Feeling feverish | 8.7 | 3.5 | 3.0 |
Nausea | 8.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
Lump in throat | 8.0 | 3.8 | 3.0 |
Unintended weight loss greater than 10 lbs. | 5.5 | 3.9† | 2.6 |
Double vision | 5.4 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
Pain on passing urine | 5.2 | 2.3 | 1.9 |
Burning sensation in sex organs | 5.0 | 1.3 | 1.6 |
Vomiting | 4.7 | 3.2 | 2.8 |
In general would you say your health is (mean, standard deviation) 1=Excellent, 2=Very Good, 3=Good, 4=Fair, 5=Poor | 2.8 (1.1)‡ | 2.3 (1.0) | 2.3 (1.0) |