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Whole decision: Denied

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is not service-connected as it was not diagnosed during or after service and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's colon polyps are not service-connected due to lack of a diagnosis in service, and the current condition is not related to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is not service-connected as it is not caused by his service-connected PTSD. The examiner found no causal relationship between the two conditions.,The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected as it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease, and there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service. The polyps were first diagnosed many years after service.,The Veteran's colon polyps are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure as colon cancer is not included among the list of diseases associated with herbicide exposure. There is also no current diagnosis of a gastrointestinal disorder in service or post-service.,There is no evidence that the erectile dysfunction was caused by PTSD, and the Veteran's medical records do not mention ED during service. The examiner found no causal relationship between PTSD and ED.,The hypertension is not proximately due to or aggravated by PTSD as there is no causal relationship between hypertension and PTSD.

Claimed conditions
ischemic heart disease, gastrointestinal disorder (colon polyps), erectile dysfunction, hypertension
How they argued it
Direct service connection
Exposure basis
None
Rating
Not verified here — check the original decision
Decision date
September 11, 2018
Citation
18133768

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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 18133768.

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).

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