hypertension Hypertension And Herbicides Exposure

[Guest terrysturgis]

For information purposes here is an article from the Michigan Overseas Veteran newspaper.

Hypertension and Herbicides Exposure by Dan Crocker VFW Service Officer.

The National Academy of Sciences announced recently, after an extensive review of studies and medical literature published since 2004, hypertension satisfied the "limited or suggestive evidence of an association" for those exposed to herbicides while servind in Vietnam. In addition, AL amyloidosis, a rare condition, was also found to have a limited or suggestive association to exposure to herbicides.

Previously, the VA has accepted the NAS determination of limited or suggestive evidence of an association to herbicides and established a presumption that allows VA to grant service connection for those vietnam veterans who develop any of these conditions to a degree of 10 percent or more following service taking into consideration 38 CFR 3.311.

For many Vietnam veterans, service connection for hypertension has been denied by the VA as a direct occurrence, or as secondary to diabetes type II, because the hypertension was diagnosed before a clinical diagnosis was rendered for the diabetes. Having said that, if hypertension was diagnosed after the onset of DM Type II, the claim would also be denied because there was no kidney involvement.

It may be months if and before the VA moves to amend VA regulations. In fact, should the VA amend the regulations, it may still be another 6-12 months after that date before the VA can decide a claim. Considering the current backlog within the VA, it still could take up to two years or longer. However, the VFW Service Office here in Michigan is strongly encouraging those who previously have been denied or those who have never filed a claim, to contact our office. If you have been clinically diagnosed with hypertension and are currently receiving compensation for any service-connected condition, then we just need to amend your claim.

If you have never filed a claim with the VA before, contact our staff so that we can refer you to someone in your local community that will assist in the completion of your claim. We will be keeping a database so that no one slips through the cracks.

Our hours of operation are as follows: 8:15am - 4:pm. Monday through Friday. 477 Michigan Avenue, Suite #1215, Detroit, MI 48226-2588. Phone: 313-964-6510. Fax: 313-964-6545. E-mail: marlene.khaireddine@va.gov.

If you decide to e-mail or call us, please leave the following: the veteran's name. Social security number and/or Va claim number and phone number where you can be reached during our normal working hours. That way we can check the VA database and our own database and see if a claim was previously filed. Dan Crocker

Has anyone heard of the the studies refered to in this article? Terry Sturgis

[Berta]

Yes- I am familiar with this study-what gets me is that- many of the AO conditions on the presumptive list grew out of a "limited" association-but one that eventually got them on the list-

I cautiously foresee HBP being added to the AO list- but hope AO vets can live long enough for that one-

Was this a recent article?

Here is the NAS Report:

http://nationalacademies.org/morenews/20070727.html

[stillhere]

If you are already diagnosed with hypertension but it is controlled by medication and rated noncomprensable will the VA go back to the original date and give me 10% or will I have to wait for them to add it to the list? This is kind of confussing to say the least.

Stillhere

[buickx]

I have hypertension along with diabetes 2....being treated by va for both...turned down on hypertension....Ex Secretary, on his way out the door, after resigning, made a statement "Hypertension should br the next item added to the presumptive list"..not holding my breath....

[jbasser]

Hypertension is on the presumptive list. Up to 1 year. Only kicker is that it has to be compensable. No zero rating.

Now if you have presumptive AO exposure DMII, and you develop Hypertension, Then you should get Service connected secondary. You need a Doc to connect the dots for the RO.

[Guest terrysturgis]

Berta, I found the article in this months Michigan VFW newspaper. jbasser I too am SC for DMII but because my hypertension preceded the DMII I was denied HTN. My Doctor wrote a letter saying DMII aggravates HTN, still denied. I am going to my SO and ammend the claim. Terry

[jbasser]

We are in the same boat. Let me know how it goes.