Monday, June 27, 2011

CDMRP-Funded Study Finds the First Treatment for Gulf War Illness Symptoms

A new Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) study has found the first successful treatment for some aspects of Gulf War Illness (GWI), a neurological disease with immunological dysfunction resulting in an array of chronic, debilitating symptoms that affects more than one in three veterans of the 1991 Gulf War.

The finding comes on the heels of highly flawed Washington Post and Military Times (Army Times, Marine Corps Times, etc.) articles suggesting the tiny CDMRP is duplicative and is taking needed DoD funding from elsewhere.

For GWI, research funding is available through two sources, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the CDMRP.  VA funding is restricted to VA employees.  CDMRP funding is available to any qualified researchers, including in academia or the public or private sectors, through a highly competetive, peer-reviewed process that includes "consumer reviewers" at every stage of the review process. ("Consumer reviewers" are individuals who are personally affected by the disease or disorder being studied.)

The study, led by Dr. Beatrice Golomb of the University of California-San Diego, has found that use of Coenzyme Q10, a powerful anti-oxidant, alleviates some of the most commonly reported symptoms of Gulf War Illness, including headaches, inability to focus, and fatigue after exertion.

The study found that some participants also had reduced chronic diarrhea and improved blood pressure levels.

The treatment uses liquid gel caps of the ubiquinone form of CoQ10 (not "ubiquinol") at 100mg and 300mg daily doses.  Taking the CoQ10 too late in the day, especially at higher doses, may have negatively impacted sleep quality.

The study found that pain relief was greater at the higher dosage.   Dr. Golomb said her study used CoQ10 produced by Jarrow Formulas.

The treatment was targeted at, and appears to have positively impacted the mitochondrial dysfunction believed to be a resultant component of GWI. In 2010, the Institute of Medicine estimated that 250,000 of the 696,842 veterans of the 1991 Gulf War are affected by this chronic multi-symptom illness.

The CDMRP was first funded for GWI in FY2006, and Dr. Golomb's study was among that first group that was funded.  

Read today's Page 4 USA Today news story about the new CDMRP-funded study:


Gel cap CoQ10 is available at highly discounted prices online at www.swansonvitamins.com.   Dr. Golomb also recommends Carlson brand cod liver oil.


-Anthony Hardie, Madison, Wis.

6 comments:

Phyrman1 said...

Finally - a start. And it's a relatively well-known (and relatively cheap) drug as well.

Perhaps now that there is a treatment for a recognized condition, there will be wider acceptance of the illness in the medical commnity.

Bruce said...

Well it is some good news but will the VA clinics take heed to it! I quit going to the VA clinic because I was being asked every time " are you sure all your pain isn't in your head?" and "we weren't made to walk on two feet!" I wish more doctors outside the VA would learn about it.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone been able to find the actualy study online? I can't find it.

Also, this article says they used the ubiquinone form of CoQ10 which must be converted to ubiquinol by your body.

I only use the ubiquinol form and have had great results for energy level and reduced fatigue and muscle aches.

Ubiquinol is a little more expensive but I've tried the other stuff you can get at the grocery store and didn't get the same results.

vesisorbqh.com is my source

Anonymous said...

I want to try CoQ10 but I always do my home work before considering any treatment. I found out that this suppliment can interfear with some statins and blood thinners. Age also matters when it come to choosing 'nol' or 'none'. Here's a good resource; http://www.vitaminexpress.com/ve_newsletter.php/nID/12

I will add CoQ10 to my regimine. Thanks for the article

Nancy Rekowski

Jade Turner said...

Neurolgical disease is one of the most difficult disease to combat since it involves the brain. It's good to know that there are already available treatments for some kinds of neurological diseases. 4rx

Granny said...

It is actually Statin drugs and other drugs that deplete the body's CoQ10 levels, not the other way around. Here is one resource about that. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2042680/pdf/bcp_0417.pdf

If you eat the right foods and don't take prescription drugs you will not need to supplement with CoQ10 as it is available in many foods.
And yes, age dictates what form is best as those that are over 35 cannot convert Ubiquinone into Ubiquinol as easily as younger people.

When I was supplementing, before learning more about the food sources, etc, I took this one, and recommend it to those that do take prescription drugs and don't eat correctly.
http://www.vitacost.com/Vitacost-Ubiquinol-CoQH-Featuring-Kaneka-QH-100-mg-60-Softgels

Many conditions can be elevated and even cured totally by proper diet, exercise, removing toxins from your immediate environment, including prescription drugs which are toxic to the body, and proper supplementation. As your health improves, the need for supplements is greatly diminished.