Report

Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Sarin

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Released:	August 20, 2004

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has been conducting a series of congressionally-mandated studies to examine the scientific and medical literature on the potential health effects of chemical and biological agents concluded to the Gulf War.

In a report released in 2000, the IOM revealed that exposure to the chemical warfare agent sarin can cause short-term symptoms such as severe cramping, difficulty breathing, twitching, pinpoint pupils and heavy sweating. However, there was not enough evidence to draw conclusions as to whether long-term health effects are associated with low-dose exposures.

In response to veterans' ongoing concerns and recent publications in the literature, IOM updated its 2000 report. In the report, Gulf War and Health: Updated Literature Review of Sarin, the committee concluded that there is still not enough evidence to determine whether exposure to low doses of sarin are associated with long-term health problems.