| ■ Top Reason for Vietnam Vets' Health Claims | 2010.09.03 |
| Diabetes is the leading cause of Vietnam veterans' health compensation claims, according to U.S. government documents. They show that about 270,000 of the one million Vietnam vets receiving disability checks are getting compensation for diabetes, according to the Associated Press, which obtained Department of Veterans Affairs records through the Freedom of Information Act. The number of vets being compensated for diabetes is greater than for any other condition, including general wounds, hearing loss or post-traumatic stress disorder. Worries about the effects of the defoliant Agent Orange are the reason why so many Vietnam veterans are being compensated for diabetes, even though decades of research have failed to find any firm link between Agent Orange and diabetes, the AP reported. The VA also pays compensation for a number of other common age-related ailments with a possible link to Agent Orange. And the VA said this week that it plans to add Parkinson's disease, heart disease and certain types of leukemia to the list of health problems that might be associated with Agent Orange. |