More Illnesses Linked to Agent Orange Exposure in Vietnam

Soldiers who served in the Vietnam War are now presumed to be at increased risk of developing more diseases as a result of being exposed to the toxic herbicide Agent Orange, Veterans Affairs officials said.

Soon to be added to the list of diseases military officials say are presumably caused by exposure to Agent Orange are Parkinson’s disease, hairy cell leukemia, and ischemic heart disease. The diseases were linked to the chemicals as part of a study by the Institute of Medicine. The Institute, which is not part of the U.S. government, has been studying the effects of Agent Orange herbicides since about 1990, according to a UPI news report.

Military officials have long maintained a list of disease and conditions associated with exposure to Agent Orange, a toxic chemical which was widely used during the Vietnam War from 1965 to 1970. Agent Orange is the name given to several chemicals which were sprayed from military aircraft to clear thick jungles where Communist guerrillas were hiding.

More than two million U.S. military personnel may have been exposed to the chemical during the war, officials say.

Other Agent Orange Diseases

Other diseases which have previously been linked to Agent Orange exposure include Hodgkin’s disease, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, prostate cancer, and various forms of respiratory cancers. There are now 15 diseases which are presumed to have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange, military officials said.

Simpler, Faster Applications for Benefits

Inclusion of the new disease to the list of presumed Agent Orange diseases figures to help injured veterans and their families receive financial compensation for their injuries. Military veterans who served during the war in Vietnam will not have to prove a link between their illnesses and their military service, according to a recent New York Times report on the decision to add more diseases to the list. This could speed up and simplify the process of seeking benefits for Agent Orange-related illnesses.

As many as 200,000 veterans could seek financial benefits for exposure to Agent Orange under the expanded list of diseases presumably linked to the chemicals, the Times reports. The addition of new illnesses to the presumed Agent Orange injury list is good news for thousands of military veterans and their families, who have spent decades dealing with the physical and emotional scars of the Vietnam War.

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