The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hypertension due to new research findings linking hypertension to herbicide exposure. The issues of service connection for residuals of a cerebrovascular accident and initial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for ischemic heart disease are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the reopening of the hypertension claim. The total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is also remanded.
The deciding factor: New research findings have linked hypertension to herbicide exposure, which triggers VA's duty to assist by obtaining a new examination that takes into consideration these findings.
- Claimed conditions
- hypertension, residuals of cerebrovascular accident, ischemic heart disease
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2019
- Citation
- 19113685
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,429 · Granted: 29% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19113685.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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