The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension are all granted due to herbicide exposure during service. The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Thailand and has been diagnosed with these conditions.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service records confirm his exposure to herbicides in Thailand, and he provided credible evidence of being near the perimeter of U-Tapao Air Base. His current diagnoses of ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, and hypertension are related to his now-service-connected diabetes.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetic neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2019
- Citation
- 19172493
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 19172493.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- 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.
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