Parkinson's disease decisions — 2016

The Veteran died from kidney cancer, which is not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during service and thus could not establish a presumption of service connection for his other conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease prior to his death, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.,As there is no evidence of Parkinson's disease before cognitive defects and hallucinations began, the most probative medical evidence supports a diagnosis of Lewy Body dementia disorder rather than Parkinson's disease.

The Board finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Korea and therefore meets the presumptive exposure criteria for Parkinson's disease. As such, the claim is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service at U-Tapao Royal Air Force Base in Thailand, and therefore grants service connection for Parkinson's disease on a presumptive basis.

The Board has granted service connection for CAD and Parkinson's disease, both of which are associated with herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, prostate cancer, Parkinson's disease, and Paget's disease with osteophytosis.,All claims are now granted.

The Veteran's Parkinson's disease is presumed to have been caused by his exposure to Agent Orange during service at the Korat RTAFB in Thailand. The Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Parkinson's disease, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, and for an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression) is remanded due to the need for further development regarding the alleged herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Veteran is granted service connection for Parkinson's disease as due to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal is currently in remand status due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and updating her VA treatment records. The issues of service connection for a heart disorder to include Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and PTSD are pending.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed for the Veteran's degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and that efforts should be made to obtain private treatment records related to his Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome. The appeal will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying the Veteran's service in Vietnam and obtaining a VA examination to address the relationship between his service-connected TBI with headaches and Parkinson's disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and Parkinson's disease, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and no current diagnoses related to these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome is a congenital defect and not related to active service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to conflicting information regarding his employment status and the need to determine if he has been substantially gainfully employed since June 2009. The AOJ will also consider whether a TDIU would be moot during any applicable time period in light of the Veteran's 100 percent combined rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus and Parkinson's disease are presumed to be related to his service in Vietnam, while asthma is presumed due to noise exposure. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise for these claims.

The Veteran's death was due to metastatic renal cell cancer and hemorrhagic stroke. The appellant argued that her husband's Parkinson's disease contributed to his fall, which led to the stroke and ultimately his death. The medical evidence supports this claim, as a private physician opined that Parkinson's disease was a contributing factor to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus Type II and denied the remaining claims. Diabetes mellitus is presumed to be related to in-service herbicide exposure, while the other conditions are not supported by evidence of record.

The Veteran's WPW syndrome is currently rated at 10 percent prior to January 23, 2014. From January 23, 2014, the rating for WPW syndrome has been increased to 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease and Type 2 diabetes mellitus were denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or other causative events, and the diseases are not shown to be related to his military service.