The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, attributing it to ischemic heart disease and systemic atherosclerosis, which are presumed to be caused by exposure to herbicides during military service.
The deciding factor: The evidence is at least in equipoise with regard to the appellant’s contention that the Veteran was probably exposed to toxic herbicides while stationed at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB) in Thailand during his Vietnam Era service, and this exposure is presumed to be linked to ischemic heart disease.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic Heart Disease, Systemic Atherosclerosis
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19181884
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and neuropathy of the right and left upper and lower extremities as secondary to diabetes due to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's service in Okinawa.
- Granted
Service connection for the Veteran's cause of death, due to ischemic heart disease and coronary heart disease, is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service at U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issues for further evidentiary development, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling new examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities due to further development needed.
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