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Vietnam Vets and ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE

VIETNAM VETERANS EXPOSED TO HERBICIDES DO NOT HAVE TO PROVE A CONNECTION BETWEEN THEIR ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE AND MILITARY SERVICE TO BE ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE VA BENEFITS.
WHAT IS ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASE?
Ischemic heart
disease involves a
reduction of blood
flow and oxygen to
the heart; this results
in the heart muscle
not getting enough blood and oxygen.
Usually there is a buildup of cholesterol
and other substances, called plaque, in
the arteries that bring oxygenated blood
to the heart muscle. Over time ischemic
heart disease damages and weakens the
heart muscle, making it difficult for the
heart to fill and pump blood to the rest
of the body.
Ischemic heart disease is a common
cause of congestive heart failure. People
with this condition may, at one time,
have had a heart attack, angina (chest
pain), or unstable angina (sudden and
increasingly worsening chest pain).
Some people may not have noticed any
previous symptoms.