AGENT ORANGE STUDY OF POSSIBLE LINKS TO HYPERTENSION AND COPD

FROM: U .S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
The Army Chemical Corps Vietnam-Era Veterans Health Study is designed to learn if high blood pressure (hypertension) and some chronic respiratory diseases are related to herbicide exposure during the Vietnam War.

Background
This study follows a request by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki for VA to conduct research on the association between herbicide exposure and high blood pressure (hypertension), as a basis for understanding if hypertension is related to military service in Vietnam.  VA is also interested in learning more about the relationship between herbicide exposure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
This study is a follow-up of a similar study conducted between 1999-2000. We have examined the health status of individuals who served in the Army Chemical Corps since the 1990s.

Goals
Researchers have two questions:
Is the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension) related to Agent Orange exposure during service in Vietnam?
Is the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis and emphysema, related to Agent Orange exposure during service in Vietnam?

Participants
Researchers are asking approximately 4,000 Veterans who served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps sometime during the Vietnam era (1965-1973) to participate in this study.  Army Chemical Corps personnel were responsible for the maintenance and distribution or application of chemicals for military operations. Army Chemical Corps personnel who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam War constitute the largest group of Army Vietnam Veterans who were thought to have had the greatest potential exposure to herbicides.

We have already selected participants from earlier Army Chemical Corps study rosters, and researchers cannot accept volunteers for this study. Each Veteran selected for this study represents other Veterans with similar characteristics.

Methods
We are conducting telephone interviews, reviewing medical records, and measuring the blood pressure and lung function of these Veterans.

Investigators
Han Kang, Dr.P.H.
Aaron Schneiderman, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N.
Yasmin Cypel, Ph.D.
Amii Kress, M.P.H.
Stephanie Eber, M.P.H.

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE DEFINES AGENT ORANGE

The following pictures and excerpts regarding “Agent Orange” exposure are from the Department of Defense website:

More Ships Added to VA’s Vietnam Ship List
VA has updated the list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships that operated in Vietnam, adding 47 more vessels and expanding information for others. The list can help Vietnam-era Veterans find out if they qualify for presumption of Agent Orange exposure when seeking VA disability compensation for herbicide-related diseases.

“Agent Orange is the name given to a blend of herbicides the U.S. military sprayed from 1962 to 1971 during Operation Ranch Hand in the Vietnam War to remove foliage that provided enemy cover.
The name “Agent Orange” came from the orange identifying stripe used on the 55-gallon drums in which it was stored.

Tactical herbicides also were used, tested, and stored in areas outside of Vietnam.  Learn
how Veterans may have been exposed to Agent Orange and other herbicides during military service, including outside Vietnam.

Agent Orange Active Ingredients and Characteristics
The two active ingredients in the Agent Orange herbicide combination were equal amounts of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T), which contained traces of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD).

The dioxin TCDD was an unwanted byproduct of herbicide production. Dioxins are pollutants that are released into the environment by burning waste, diesel exhaust, chemical manufacturing, and other processes. TCDD is the most toxic of the dioxins, and is classified as a human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Agent Orange dries quickly after spraying and breaks down within hours to days when exposed to sunlight (if not bound chemically to a biological surface such as soil, leaves and grass) and is no longer harmful.”

Agent Orange: Exposure during Military Service
Part of the United States’ strategy in Vietnam was to conduct an herbicide program to remove foliage providing cover for the enemy. Agent Orange was the most widely used of the herbicide combinations sprayed. Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam were tested or stored elsewhere, including some military bases in the United States.


When and Where Agent Orange Was Sprayed in Vietnam
The U.S. military herbicide program in South Vietnam took place between 1962 and 1971. Herbicides were sprayed in all 4 military zones of Vietnam. More than 19 million gallons of various herbicide combinations were used. Agent Orange was the combination of herbicides the U.S. military used most often.

Heavily Sprayed Areas
Heavily sprayed areas included:
Inland forests near the demarcation zone
Inland forests at the junction of the borders of Cambodia, Laos, and South Vietnam
Inland forests north and northwest of Saigon
Mangrove forests on the southernmost peninsula of Vietnam
Mangrove forests along major shipping channels southeast of Saigon


Exposure to Agent Orange in and Outside Vietnam

Exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam
Exposure on land in Vietnam or on a ship operating on the inland waterways of Vietnam between January 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975

Blue Water Veterans
Possible exposure on open sea ships off the shore of Vietnam during the Vietnam War
U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Ships in Vietnam

Korean Demilitarized Zone
Exposure along the demilitarized zone in Korea between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971
Thailand Military Bases
Possible exposure on or near the perimeters of military bases between February 28, 1961 and May 7, 1975
Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside Vietnam
Possible exposure due to herbicide tests and storage at military bases in the United States and locations in other countries

Agent Orange Residue on Airplanes Used in the Vietnam War
Possible exposure of crew members to herbicide residue in C-123 planes flown after the Vietnam War.