After a blocked artery is treated with angioplasty to restore blood flow, the artery may become blocked again. This is called restenosis. One way to prevent restenosis is to place a stent inside the artery at the spot where the blockage was cleared by angioplasty. A stent is a tiny, metal mesh tube that is placed with a catheter and permanently embedded within the artery wall to prop open and prevent it from collapsing.
Associations between Agent Orange and other dioxin-contaminated herbicides and structural birth defects like spina bifida, oral clefts, heart defects and hypospadias may be just the âtip of the icebergâ.
Heart Disease & Agent Orange. In 2008, the Institute of Medicine released a report that linked Agent Orange exposure during Vietnam to ischemic heart disease and Parkinsonâs. In 2010, the VA issued a final rule and listed ischemic heart disease as a condition presumed to have been caused by Agent Orange. Following such information the VA announced that some veterans and surviving spouses may also be eligible for retroactive claims.