The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypertension as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of prostate cancer and that his diagnosed conditions were more likely due to herbicide exposure during his time in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners provided opinions indicating the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypertension were related to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam. However, the Board found these opinions not credible as they did not address the September 1963 complaint of right-side pain or provide evidence of herbicide exposure during a period when the Veteran was eligible for VA benefits.
- Claimed conditions
- prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, hypertension
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 10, 2020
- Citation
- 20052863
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 20052863.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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