Agent Orange, a herbicide used during the Vietnam War, contains dioxin which can cause medical problems, including diabetes. The US government has set up a fund to care for affected soldiers. Dioxin accumulates in fatty tissues and can affect insulin production and usage. The Agent Orange Act compensates veterans with medical conditions resulting from exposure to Agent Orange.
Agent Orange is a herbicide that was used from the 1940s to the Vietnam War in the 1960s, until scientists discovered it contains a very dangerous dioxin. It was later suspected that people exposed to Agent Orange, including American soldiers, were at risk of dioxin poisoning. This can increase your risk of certain medical conditions. Some scientists even believe that there is a link between diabetes and Agent Orange. The United States later set up a fund to help care for American soldiers suffering from the effects of Agent Orange.
Developed in the 1940s, Agent Orange is a defoliant and herbicide. When sprayed on plants, it kills them. A component of this herbicide is dioxin, which can cause a variety of medical problems, some of which only show up years after exposure. A possible link between diabetes and Agent Orange has recently been discovered, particularly in people who spent time in Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s.
During the Vietnam War, the US Army sprayed millions of gallons of herbicides, including Agent Orange, over parts of Vietnam. This was referred to as Operation Ranch Hand and took place throughout the 1960s. By spraying jungle vegetation and crops, American soldiers were reducing the enemy’s hiding places and food supplies.
In the 1970s, however, these actions ceased. It was around this time that scientists became aware of the health risks associated with herbicides such as Agent Orange. Dioxin poisoning had begun to take its toll on the residents of this area. Birth defects and miscarriages have become more common, for example, and the number of people suffering from skin diseases, cancer and other medical conditions has increased. It wasn’t until several years later that scientists started seeing the connection between other diseases like diabetes and Agent Orange.
After exposure to Agent Orange, this dangerous chemical begins to accumulate in the fatty tissues of the body. Dioxin is a very stable chemical compound, with a very long half-life, so it remains in a person’s body for a long period of time. The buildup of this chemical in fat molecules could have an effect on how much insulin the body makes or how the body uses insulin. When the body doesn’t make enough insulin, for example, sugars aren’t broken down properly, which can lead to type II diabetes.
In 1991, the United States Congress passed the Agent Orange Act, which stipulated that Vietnam War veterans diagnosed with medical conditions resulting from exposure to Agent Orange would be treated and compensated. Diabetic veterans who have been exposed to Agent Orange qualify for medical treatment courtesy of the US government. The act also calls for continued study of the issue, including the link between diabetes and Agent Orange. Dioxin is now known to increase the risk of several types of serious medical conditions, including Hodgkin’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, heart disease and several types of cancer, along with type II diabetes.
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