The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by ischemic heart disease, a condition associated with herbicide agent exposure. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service on or near the perimeters of Thailand military bases. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death has been granted.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents and that he died from ischemic heart disease, a presumptive disability for herbicide agent exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease including acute, subacute, and old myocardial infarction, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 20, 2020
- Citation
- 20067692
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 remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected cardiovascular disability, but denied a higher rating from December 15, 2022, through September 14, 2025.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a temporary rating of 100 percent for his heart disability from March 1, 2021 to June 1, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent prior to and after this period was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
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