SGT. SHAFT: Disease's ties to herbicide unclear

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My husband was in the Army from 1966 through '68. He was exposed to Agent Orange. He is getting disability from the Department of Veterans Affairs because he is a diabetic.

In July 2007, he was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which is scarring of the lungs. There is no cure for this disease. It is called idiopathic because doctors don't know what causes it. One of the pathologists who diagnosed his condition said it could be caused by his exposure to Agent Orange.

Could you tell me why IPF is not on the list of disabilities for Agent Orange? Could it be possible that it could have caused his IPF? I would be interested in your finding.

Thank you for listening.

Sincerely,

Claudette Z

Dear Claudette:

My sources tell me that this disease is not on the presumptive list because neither VA nor the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has established that idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is "positively associated," even weakly, with exposure to environmental toxins such as Agent Orange. As the lady said, the etiology is "unknown."

Congress granted the presumptive power to NAS to look at these kinds of issues and, based on NAS findings, for VA to service-connect them - but they haven't identified this disease as so associated. Chapter 11 is full of diseases that Congress in earlier years presumptively service-connected, but I think the modern thought is that the designation should be driven by science, not politics.

Shaft notes