The Veteran's CAD and DM are granted as presumptively related to herbicide exposure. Peripheral neuropathy in both feet is also granted, but nerve damage in the legs and unspecified connective tissue disorder causing swelling in hands remain pending due to lack of service connection.
The deciding factor: Service connection for CAD and DM was established based on presumed exposure to herbicides during service at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base. Peripheral neuropathy in both feet is secondary to DM, which also meets the presumptive criteria.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability (chronic premature ventricular contractions and diagnosed as coronary artery disease (CAD)), diabetes mellitus, type II (DM), nerve damage in both legs, peripheral neuropathy in both feet, unspecified connective tissue disorder causing swelling in both hands
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 2, 2020
- Citation
- 20000184
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus to obtain further medical opinions regarding their potential relationship to toxic exposures during active service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for right foot, left elbow, left hip, left ankle, and diabetes mellitus to obtain additional medical evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for cervical spine condition, diabetes mellitus, heart condition, lumbar spine condition, and urinary frequency and voiding condition as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service incurrence or aggravation.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma and remanded the claims for sinus disability, bilateral hip disability, right shoulder disability, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes mellitus, skin disability, back disability, bilateral neurological disability of the upper extremities, and bilateral neurological disability of the lower extremities.
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