Search

PURPOSE: We evaluated an association between veterans' Gulf War service and reported adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a health survey in which selected reproductive outcomes of a population-based sample of 15,000 Gulf War veterans representing four military branches and three unit components (active, reserve, and National Guard) were compared to those of 15,000 non-Gulf veteran controls. RESULTS: Male Gulf veterans, compared with their non-Gulf veteran controls, reported a significantly higher rate of miscarriage (odds ratio [OR] = 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.32–1.99). Female Gulf veterans also reported more miscarriages than their respective controls, although their excess was not statistically significant (OR= 1.35; CI = 0.97–1.89). Both men and women deployed to the Gulf theater reported significant excesses of birth defects among their liveborn infants. These excess rates also extended to the subset of “moderate to severe” birth defects [males: OR= 1.78 (CI = 1.19–2.66); females: OR = 2.80 (CI = 1.26–6.25)]. No statistically significant differences by deployment status were found among men or women for stillbirths, pre-term deliveries or infant mortality. CONCLUSION: The risk of veterans reporting birth defects among their children was significantly associated with veteran's military service in the Gulf War. This observation needs to be confirmed by a review of medical records to rule out possible reporting bias.

PURPOSE: To evaluate risk for all-cause and cause-specific mortality in a large, primarily female (73%) cohort of radiologic technologists. METHODS: The study consists of 145,915 radiation technologists, certified in the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (1926–1982) and followed through 1997. Causes of death were obtained from death certificates or, more recently, through NDI Plus . Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMR) were computed and tests of homogeneity were performed to detect differences in mortality among causes. Poisson models were used to estimate risks using an internal comparison group. RESULTS: Significantly low SMRs were observed for all causes (0.76), all cancers (0.82), and diseases of circulatory system (0.69). Compared to U.S. women, the risk for breast cancer mortality bordered around unity (SMR 1.01, 95% CI 0.94–1.09). However, relative to all other cancers, breast cancer mortality was significantly increased (RSMR 1.24, p CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary findings of this study suggest increased breast cancer risk associated with occupational radiation exposures prior to 1950 and with long-term cumulative exposures. However, potential confounding by reproductive and other risk factors needs to be evaluated.