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This article, New Study Could Pressure VA to Expand Agent Orange Benefits, was co-published in Nov. 2016 by Pro-Publica and The Virginian-Pilot.

A new study has found a close relationship between Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War and high blood pressure, a conclusion that could lead the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to dramatically expand the number of veterans eligible for compensation.

The study, published last week by VA researchers in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, found a higher rate of hypertension among members of the Army Chemical Corps who handled Agent Orange during the war compared to those who didn’t. Corps members who served in Vietnam but did not spray the chemicals also had a higher rate of hypertension than their peers who served outside Vietnam.

Both results were statistically significant and add to a body of evidence linking Agent Orange exposure and hypertension. Read more.

VA Links and Benefits Eligibility:

• https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/
• https://www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/related-diseases/

NDVS Veterans Service Officers: How to Contact