The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expanding the list of conditions and diseases acknowledged as having a connection to being exposed to Agent Orange. Under the VA's new proposal, additional medical conditions would have presumptive status, thereby making it easier for those who suffer from these illnesses to qualify for VA benefits.
The conditions to be newly acknowledged by the VA include all B cell leukemias (blood cancers), which are cancers that form in B cells (a type of immune system cell) in which too many white blood cells called B lymphocytes are produces. In addition, Parkinson’s disease, a chronic and progressive degenerative disease of the brain that impairs motor control, speech, and other functions, is among those proposed. The third condition to be included is ischemic heart disease, which is a type of heart disease that results from a deficiency in the blood supply due to an obstruction or inflow of arterial blood.
The decision made by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki was based on results of a recent analysis performed by the Institute of Medicine, known to have been studying the effects of Agent Orange since the early 1990s. According to Shinseki, “We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will.” He then added, “Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence.”
The VA estimates that as many as 250,000 Vietnam veterans could benefit under the proposed change in policy, as veterans with the newly listed conditions will not have to prove any connection between their illness and their military service when filing a health benefits claim.
The addition of the three illnesses would increase the total number of medical conditions having presumptive status in connection to Agent Orange exposure to 15. The herbicide used by the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War as a means of warfare is also known to cause the following diseases and conditions that are currently recognized by the VA:
The conditions to be newly acknowledged by the VA include all B cell leukemias (blood cancers), which are cancers that form in B cells (a type of immune system cell) in which too many white blood cells called B lymphocytes are produces. In addition, Parkinson’s disease, a chronic and progressive degenerative disease of the brain that impairs motor control, speech, and other functions, is among those proposed. The third condition to be included is ischemic heart disease, which is a type of heart disease that results from a deficiency in the blood supply due to an obstruction or inflow of arterial blood.
The decision made by Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki was based on results of a recent analysis performed by the Institute of Medicine, known to have been studying the effects of Agent Orange since the early 1990s. According to Shinseki, “We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to service, and we will.” He then added, “Veterans who endure health problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence.”
The VA estimates that as many as 250,000 Vietnam veterans could benefit under the proposed change in policy, as veterans with the newly listed conditions will not have to prove any connection between their illness and their military service when filing a health benefits claim.
The addition of the three illnesses would increase the total number of medical conditions having presumptive status in connection to Agent Orange exposure to 15. The herbicide used by the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War as a means of warfare is also known to cause the following diseases and conditions that are currently recognized by the VA:
- Acute and Subacute Transient Peripheral Neuropathy – A condition of the nervous system that causes numbness, tingling, and motor weakness.
- AL Amyloidosis – A rare disease that occurs when amyloid, an abnormal protein, enters tissues or organs.
- Chloracne – A skin condition having the appearance of common forms of acne that develops a short time after exposure to dioxin.
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia – A slow progressing disease that causes a gradual increase in the production of excess white blood cells.
- Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2) – A disease cause by the body’s inability to respond properly to the hormone insulin that results in high blood sugar levels.
- Hodgkin’s Disease – A cancer (malignant lymphoma) in which a progressive enlargement of the lymph nodes, liver, and spleen occur, that is accompanied by progressive anemia.
- Multiple Myeloma – A type of cancer within specific bone marrow cells that causes the development of bone marrow tumors in various bones of the body.
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma – A diverse group of hematologic (blood) cancers including any lymphoma (cancer of the lymph system) other than Hodgkin's Lymphoma that affect the lymph glands and other lymphatic tissue.
- Porphyria Cutanea Tarda – A disorder that causes liver dysfunction as well as the thinning and blistering of the skin in areas exposed to the sun.
- Prostate Cancer – Cancer of the prostate that is common among men.
- Respiratory Cancers – Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus.
- Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, or Mesothelioma) – A group of various types body tissue cancers such as those in muscle, fat, blood and lymph vessels, and connective tissues.
Agent Orange was used to defoliate trees at the height of the Vietnam War, to help prevent concealment of guerilla fighters from U.S. troops. According to military records, more than 2.6 million U.S. service members may have been exposed to the chemicals between January 1965 and April 1970.
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