The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.
The deciding factor: The Veteran’s physical disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type 2, are all physical in nature and do not appear to preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM), Idiopathic neuropathy, right lower extremity associated with DM, Idiopathic neuropathy, left lower extremity associated with DM, Diabetic amyotrophy, lumbar plexopathy (claimed as pain in the pelvic and lower torso area) associated with DM, Scars, residuals of atherosclerosis of carotid arteries associated with DM
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- June 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19143399
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 is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of ischemic heart disease and diabetes, and these claims are dismissed.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension from August 10, 2022, under the PACT Act. The claim for a thyroid disability was denied.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to request a medical opinion on whether service-connected hypertension or ischemic heart disease was a principal or contributory cause of the Veteran's death.
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