Noteboom The Law Firm

Agent Orange Exposure May Lead to Graves’ Disease

September 17, 2010 - Agent Orange is a defoliant used during the Vietnam War, which has a long history of causing health problems in people exposed to it. A recent study found those veterans exposed to Agent Orange during Vietnam have Graves' disease at a rate of 3 times higher than those veterans who were never exposed.  

Agent Orange has a unique chemical structure, which affects thyroid hormone and metabolism. The study was originally intended to determine if veterans exposed to Agent Orange had higher rates of:

• Thyroid Disorders;
• Cancer;
• Graves' disease;
• Hypothyroidism; and
• Nodules.

Researchers looked into the Department of Veterans Administration (VA) electronic medical database for veterans from Upstate New York who were born between 1925 and 1950. This is the age group for men who would have been eligible for military duty in Vietnam. Their investigation revealed 19,709 veterans who had been exposed to Agent Orange and 50,913 veterans who had not been exposed. The two groups were compared for differences in:

• Race;
• Smoking history; and
• Type-2 Diabetes.

The researchers discovered Agent Orange was the single most important predictor of Graves' disease without regard to the veterans' diabetes, their smoking status, or their race. Exposed veterans also had very reduced occurrences of hypothyroidism. While researchers did find some limitations in their research, they did conclude more research was necessary.