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In
October of 2000 the VA determined that there is a link
between exposure to Agent Orange and the onset of Type-2
Diabetes. This information is provided to help you decide if you might have this disease and what to do about it.
 Diabetes is a condition where people don't produce insulin or their cells don't respond properly to insulin. Insulin is important because it moves glucose, a simple sugar, into the body's cells from the blood. The food people eat provides the body with glucose, which is used by the cells as a source of energy. If insulin isn't available or doesn't work correctly to move glucose from the blood and into cells, glucose will stay in the blood. These levels will become higher than normal. Also, cells won't get the fuel they need. These two problems cause the symptoms of diabetes The symptoms of type 2 diabetes appear gradually. People with type 2 diabetes often have a persistent, mild thirst. They urinate frequently, and often feel mild fatigue and complain of blurred vision. Many women with the disease have recurring vaginal yeast infections. Diabetes is a chronic condition, and it can last an entire life. The goal of treating diabetes is to keep blood glucose levels as close to a "normal" range as possible. This prevents the symptoms of diabetes and the long-term complications of the condition. A doctor, working with the other health-care professionals on a diabetes care team, will help someone with diabetes find their target blood glucose levels. More than most conditions, treating diabetes requires a significant amount of real work on the patient's part. Coping with diabetes is a lifelong challenge, so people with diabetes should not be afraid to speak with a doctor or pharmacist if they feel overwhelmed.
Filing a claim with the VA
In the spring and fall of 2000, the Vietnam Veterans of America
petitioned the VA to amend its regulations to include adult-onset
diabetes mellitus Type 2 a presumptively service-connected disease as a result of exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides. In other words veterans with that form of diabetes would be eligible for service connection without the need to submit medical evidence of a relationship between exposure and subsequent onset. The petitions were based on government studies and a report from the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine (IOM).
Note: A 2006 article posted by Mike Billington
and Jeff Montgomery of The News Journal 07/23/2006
provides a new insight into the Agent Orange and other
defoliants issue. Click
HERE to see that
article. The actual amount of disability compensation each veteran receives will depend upon the severity of individual symptoms and the disease’s impact upon employability. The VA estimates that some 9 percent of the 2.3 million Vietnam veterans alive today suffer from Type 2 diabetes, which is caused by the body’s inability to process insulin.
Note, however, that the regulation does not allow for retroactive benefits--even if a veteran had previously filed a claim for service connection for diabetes as the result of exposure to Agent Orange. All veterans who served, or came ashore, in Vietnam between January 1962 and May 1975 and who have been diagnosed with diabetes Type 2 should file a claim for service connection with the VA as soon as
possible. Please see the section on
How To File A Claim for additional assistance on filing a claim for Disability Compensation with the VA.
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