Test for Hepatitis and Diabetes - SuffolkJournal.com

Veterans Need Testing for
Hepatitis C & Type II Diabetes
by Assemblyman Robert Wertz

March 8, 2002

Hepatitis C is an emerging health issue among American veterans who may be at higher risk for contracting the virus than the general public. The virus, having only been identified in 1989, has been around for at least 50 years.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly four million Americans are believed to have Hepatitis C. The virus, which can lead to liver failure and cancer, is blamed for approximately 10,000 deaths per year. It is the leading cause of chronic liver disease and transplants. However, it is estimated that as many as half of those thought to have the infection do not know they have it since patients can go for two or three decades before observable symptoms emerge.

All veterans should be tested for Hepatitis C and VA medical centers are offering free testing to vets who have had any known risk factors including any veteran who had blood-to-blood contact by receiving blood prior to 1992, during or after surgery, by caring for the wounded, or even by getting a tattoo with a non-sterilized needle.

There is currently no vaccine or completely effective treatment for Hepatitis C. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs operates a number of hospitals, outpatient clinics and vet centers throughout New York state.

The VA is now linking diabetes to Agent Orange Exposure. It is estimated that about nine percent of the 2.3 million Vietnam veterans still alive have Type II Diabetes. The illness is characterized by high blood sugar levels caused by the body's inability to process the hormone insulin.

Approximately 16 percent of veterans receiving care in VA medical facilities have been diagnosed with diabetes. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death and the leading cause of blindness in the United States. The institute of Medicine examined the impact of herbicide exposure on veteran's health and found "limited/suggestive" evidence of an association between the chemicals used in herbicides during the Vietnam War and adult-onset Type II diabetes.

Vietnam veterans with Type II diabetes are now eligible for disability compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs based on their presumed exposure to Agent Orange or other herbicides.

Vietnam veterans are encouraged to visit and enroll in the VA's health care system immediately. If they test positive for Type II Diabetes all of their health care will be provided at no cost and they may be able to receive disability compensation.