The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of August 31, 2010 for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted. The Veteran's hypertension and erectile dysfunction are also addressed with appropriate ratings.
The deciding factor: The Veteran meets the criteria for service connection under the Agent Orange presumption as his ischemic heart disease was diagnosed after August 31, 2010 when it became a presumptive condition due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The effective date is set at the earliest possible date based on the liberalizing law.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic Heart Disease, Hypertension, Erectile Dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 25, 2018
- Citation
- 18144750
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 18144750.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board denied a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and a higher rating for left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy with muscle weakness, but granted an earlier effective date for the 60 percent disability rating for thrombosis, TIA or cerebral infarction with impairment of sphincter control and voiding dysfunction, and for service connection for pharynx and/or larynx and/or swallowing conditions residuals.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension, to include as secondary to left orchiectomy, for further development in accordance with the PACT Act.
- Partly granted
The Board granted readjudication of previously denied claims for service connection for PTSD and COPD, while remanding other issues including entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder, hypertension, tinnitus, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, and an initial rating for PTSD.
- Partly granted
The Board granted a 70 percent disability rating for PTSD with MDD, service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to the service-connected condition, and SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance. However, it denied SMC based on housebound status.
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