The appeal for entitlement to service connection for high cholesterol is dismissed.,The appeal for entitlement to service connection for glaucoma is dismissed.,Entitlement to service connection for hypertension is granted. This issue is granted pursuant to the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins Act of 2022 (PACT Act).,The issues of entitlement to service connection for arthritis, whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claim for entitlement to service connection for residuals of malaria, and entitlement to service connection for hemorrhoids are remanded.,The issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease s/p stent (CAD) is remanded.,The issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran explicitly, unambiguously, and with a full understanding of the consequences, withdrew the appeals for entitlement to service connection for high cholesterol and entitlement to service connection for glaucoma.,Based on the PACT Act, as the Veteran's service in Vietnam is within the requisite time period (between January 9, 1962, and ending on June 30, 1976) exposure to herbicide agents is conceded. Furthermore, in compliance with the PACT Act, hypertension is now a disease presumptively associated with herbicide agents.,The Veteran's lay statements and personnel records confirm service in Vietnam. Thus, based on the PACT Act, as the Veteran's service in Vietnam is within the requisite time period (between January 9, 1962, and ending on June 30, 1976) exposure to herbicide agents is conceded.,The Veteran was last provided VA examinations relating to his CAD and PTSD in July 2014, over 8 years ago. During the January 2022 Board hearing, the Veteran testified that his CAD and PTSD have increased in severity.
- Claimed conditions
- high cholesterol, glaucoma, hypertension, arthritis, residuals of malaria, hemorrhoids
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 12, 2022
- Citation
- 22063302
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 22063302.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for headaches and increased ratings for left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder rotator cuff tear, hypertension, and left and right leg restless leg syndrome. The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the appeal to obtain a VA medical opinion that considers the Veteran's contentions of in-service training with heavy gear and equipment.
- Granted
The Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for asthma but denied it for hypertension.
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