The Board has granted an effective date of March 20, 2002 for the award of service connection for ischemic heart disease/CAD/atriial fibrillation/dilated cardiomyopathy due to the Veteran's presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The effective date is set at the earliest date on which the disability arose, as determined by medical evidence, and prior to August 31, 2010 when ischemic heart disease was added to the list of diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, CAD (Coronary Artery Disease), atrial fibrillation, dilated cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 5, 2019
- Citation
- 19143654
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 appeal regarding the Veteran's entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atrial fibrillation is remanded due to unclear evidence on whether continuous medication is required for its control.
- Partly granted
The Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his period of active duty service. The claims for ischemic heart disease, aortic valve replacement, status post aortic stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease with popliteal aneurysm are remanded.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, as the previous opinions were found inadequate.
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