The Board granted service connection for a heart disability (including coronary artery disease) and denied service connection for peripheral vascular diseases of the right and left lower extremities due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.
The deciding factor: The Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, which is considered a burn pit exposure. His heart disability meets the definition of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and is presumed due to herbicide exposure. However, there is no direct evidence linking peripheral vascular diseases to active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, coronary artery disease (CAD), peripheral vascular disease of the right lower extremity, peripheral vascular disease of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- 100%
- Decision date
- October 26, 2020
- Citation
- 20069095
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability as the evidence did not support that it began during active service or was related to an in-service injury.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for the service-connected heart disability to correct an error by the AOJ in not informing the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.
- Partly granted
The Board granted restoration of a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) effective June 1, 2021, and increased ratings for mid-sternum scar, left lower extremity (LLE) scar, and migraines to 10%, 20%, and 50% respectively, all effective October 26, 2020.
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