The Veterans and Agent Orange series of reports from the National Academy of Sciences — mandated by the Agent Orange Act of 1991 — review and evaluate the available scientific evidence regarding the association between exposure to the herbicides used in Vietnam or dioxin and various adverse health outcomes. These reports form a major input to the Department of Veterans Affairs policy on compensation to veterans for service-related illnesses. In the past year, two updates to the series have been published: a review of the literature regarding herbicide exposure and Type 2 diabetes, and …Update 2000, which addressed over thirty cancer and non-cancer health outcomes and birth defects in the children of veterans. This presentation will discuss the major findings of these reports and their impact on veterans' policy in the U.S. The status of a research effort aimed at improving the retrospective modeling of herbicide exposures of Vietnam veterans will also be addressed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the presentation, the participant should be able to: 1. identify the health outcomes believed to be associated with exposure to the herbicides used in Vietnam and dioxin, 2. discuss where further research may serve to reduce uncertainty regarding herbicide and dioxin health effects, and 3. explain the motivations for seeking further research on Agent Orange and herbicide exposure of Vietnam veterans.
Keywords: Risk Assessment, Vietnam
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.