While the reason why the dioxin chemical in AO causes high blood pressure hasn’t been proven, it is theorized to be a result of the dioxin binding with a specific type of receptor (aryl hydrocarbon receptor) commonly found in blood vessels. How Does Agent Orange Cause High Blood Pressure? Thus, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) established a list of presumptive conditions to support veterans suffering from those effects. Through the years, scientific evidence of Agent Orange’s ill effects mounted. The main issue with Agent Orange was its contamination with a chemical called 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), the most toxic dioxin currently known. The VA, after many years, acknowledged that “veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange may have certain related cancers or other illnesses.” Providers refer to these downstream effects as “sequelae.” And because these changes often happen without obvious symptoms, hypertension has developed a reputation as a “silent killer.” Why Was Agent Orange Used?īetween 1962 to 1971, Agent Orange was developed by the Army Chemical Corps and used as a “tactical herbicide” to make war operations easier and reduce opportunities for enemies to hide behind foliage. The same concept applies in the human body, where arteries sustain inflammation as a precursor to blockages and heart attacks, the heart grows too large and becomes ineffective, and the kidneys suffer slow, quiet damage, among many other negative effects. Eventually, the hose, its connectors, and the pump supplying the pressure will all experience damage. To understand why this is harmful, imagine a hose filled with a pressure much higher than it was rated for. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is conceptually simple: it’s the phenomenon of too much pressure being exerted against the walls of your arteries and veins. Scientific evidence lending credence to this connection has been touted by veterans and veterans groups for years and now the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs has finally acknowledged Agent Orange’s contribution to this chronic disability. Its prevalence is particularly felt in the veteran community, where rates of high blood pressure for Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange during military service are found to be higher than in the general population. The CDC estimates that 47% of Americans have this disease and that “more than 670,000 deaths in the United States had hypertension as a primary or contributing cause.” The reason why this decision is so important is the scope of its impact. Presumptive Hypertension Is a Landmark Decision From the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs While many other health conditions, like diabetes mellitus type II and prostate cancer, have long had presumptive condition status, this represents a major victory in a long history of working to see high blood pressure added to this Agent Orange list for Vietnam War vets, thus allowing them access to certain VA benefits. Passed into law in August of 2022, the Honoring our PACT Act piece of VA legislation added hypertension to its list of diagnoses presumed to be caused by exposure to the tactical herbicide known as Agent Orange (AO), making eligibility for disability benefits much easier. Social Security Disability Benefits Guide.List of Blue Water Navy Ships Exposed to Agent Orange (Interactive Vietnam Map). Individual Unemployability Rating Calculator.
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