The Board has determined that the Veteran's current peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis of the left lower extremity are not related to service, as they were acute and resolved during service. The claim for service connection is denied.,Similarly, the Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current right lower extremity disability or lumbar spine disorder to his in-service exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the current peripheral artery disease and atherosclerosis of the left lower extremity were not caused by cold exposure during service, but rather are related to spinal stenosis and other pre-existing conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- Peripheral Artery Disease, Atherosclerosis of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2015
- Citation
- 1502156
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1502156.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Dismissed
The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals because he did not file his claims on the correct forms and was advised to use a VA Form 20-0995 for supplemental claims.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than June 30, 2011 for the award of service connection for peripheral artery disease in both legs. The Board found that the earliest objective evidence of peripheral artery disease was August 24, 2011.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's peripheral artery disease is granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange. The Board found the evidence supports a direct causal relationship between his current condition and his in-service exposure.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for peripheral artery disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, amputation below the right knee, and amputation below the left knee as secondary to service-connected diabetes. The initial disability rating for diabetes remains at 20 percent.
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