One in four Gulf War veterans suffers from Gulf War Illness (GWI). The condition is characterized by unexplainable chronic fatigue, muscle pain and cognitive dysfunction and may be associated with exposure to chemicals, many identified as genotoxins, during deployment. Previous studies suggest that the symptoms of GWI are due to dysfunction of the mitochondria, the site in cells where molecules that power the body’s processes are produced. Not producing enough energy slows down the body and leaves the individual feeling tired. New preliminary research to be presented at “Physiological Bionergetics: From Bench to Bedside” shows for the first time direct evidence of greater mitochondrial damage in Gulf War veterans.
The mitochondrion has its own DNA, separate from the cell’s, that encodes the proteins needed to produce the molecules that power the body’s processes. Damage to the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) directly affects the mitochondria’s ability to function and produce energy. Increases in the amount of mtDNA have been associated with disease. In this study, researchers measured the mtDNA amount and degree of mtDNA damage in blood cells from blood samples from veterans with GWI. Compared with healthy non-deployed controls, Gulf War veterans had more mtDNA content and greater mtDNA damage. According to the researchers, these findings further support that mitochondrial dysfunction may be involved in GWI. “Future studies are necessary to confirm these findings and determine their association with mitochondrial function. Work in this area may guide new diagnostic testing and treatments for veterans suffering from GWI.”
There are cynics who believe that the damage was caused by the anti-chemical warfare injection that military people who deployed to the region received. Friends in the intelligence community warned me NOT to allow myself to get the shot. I took them at their word and never developed GWI. I leave it all to you to judge.
1 in 4 is a terrible statistic and all the worse if self-inflicted.
There were well over 200,000 soldiers, sailors, marines and coast guard people who received the injections.
That's terrible. 1 in 4 is a lot of people. I hope these people do get treatment.
There's not much you can do. Morphine 'till you shuffle off this mortal coil, I guess.
A fiend of mine refused the injection and was forced to retire. He was a Navy Seal
What chemicals were in the shot?
I stamped the form and signed that I had received it… a stamp and a scribbled signature go a long way in the Navy. If we're talking about CPO Grey, he should have come to me, I was just a building over from where he was at SPECBOATRON.
I have no idea.
For the historical record, SEALs who served in the units where I was present all ended up with stamps and scribbled signatures. If you'd had the shot once, you were not allowed to receive a second one…That gave the scam legs. Didn't know about Grey. Sorry about that.
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