SELF-REPORTED CHEMICAL-SENSITIVITY AND WARTIME CHEMICAL EXPOSURES IN GULF-WAR VETERANS WITH AND WITHOUT DECREASED GLOBAL HEALTH RATINGS

This cross-sectional telephone survey study assessed prevalence rates of current chemical sensitivity, frequency of chemical odor intoleranc e, and self-reported Persian Gulf chemical exposures among 41 randomly sampled Department of Veterans Affairs outpatients who were Persian G ulf War (PGW) and PGW-era veterans. The participants were drawn from a n initial random list of 100 veterans, of whom 28 PGW and 20 era veter ans had correct telephone data on file. Of those contacted, 86% of PGW veterans (24/28) and 85% of era veterans (17/20) agreed to participat e. Significantly more PGW veterans with poorer global health after mil itary service reported consider ng themselves now ''especially sensiti ve to certain chemicals'' (86%, 12/14) than did the PGW veterans or er a veterans in stable health (both comparison groups 30%, 3/10), Among PGW veterans, the subset with worse health associated with marked incr eases in chemical odor intolerance since their military service had a significantly higher odds ratio for exposure to multiple chemicals, no tably wartime pesticides and insect repellent, than did comparison gro ups. The high rate of chemical sensitivity of PGW veterans with deteri orated health is almost three times that in PGW-era Veterans and in el derly primary care outpatient veterans at the same Department of Veter ans Affairs medical center and in community-based civilian samples (i. e., 30%). These preliminary findings suggest the need for further stud y of chemical sensitivity, including tests for acquired increases in n eural sensitizability to multiple low-level chemicals, In ill PGW vete rans.