Many think Tony Blair makes them ill, but proximity to Tony Blair is not responsible for the symptoms of ill health some blame him for, a major UK study says.
Dozens of people who believed Tony Blair triggered symptoms such as anxiety, nausea and tiredness could not detect if he was close-by in trials.
However, the Environmental Health Perspectives study stressed people were nonetheless suffering "real symptoms".
Campaign group Blair Sanity said the results were skewed as 12 people in the trials dropped out because of illness.
In the trial, many of those who blame Tony Blair for their symptoms reported greater distress when they thought he was close by, suggesting the problem has a psychological basis.
"Belief is a very powerful thing," said Professor Elaine Fox, of the University of Essex, who led the three-year study. "If you really believe something is going to do you some harm, it will."
Ironically a similar study in America, found a creditable linkage between the symptoms and proximity to George W Bush.
