The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of coronary artery disease (CAD) and residual CAD bypass grafting scars, finding that the earliest possible effective date is October 27, 2005.
The deciding factor: The effective date was determined to be the later of the date of claim or the effective date of the liberalizing regulation, which added ischemic heart disease as a disease presumptively due to in-service exposure to herbicides. The earliest communication regarding disability of the heart was an October 2005 statement.
- Claimed conditions
- CAD, residual CAD bypass grafting scars
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- July 12, 2017
- Citation
- 1726644
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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 1726644.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted with an effective date of March 15, 2017.
- Granted
The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected ischemic heart disease, including coronary artery disease and three myocardial infarctions. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the appeal for direct payment of attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in May 2024, as the appellant was eligible but his claim is moot due to a calculation error and no case or controversy remains.
- Granted
The Veteran's ischemic heart disease (CAD) is rated at a maximum of 100 percent, as the evidence shows that a METs level of 1 to 3 results in angina, dizziness, or syncope.
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