The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for atherosclerotic vascular disease and atherosclerosis of the aorta, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his in-service herbicide agent exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that there is no causal link between the Veteran's atherosclerotic vascular disease and atherosclerosis of the aorta and his in-service herbicide agent exposure based on the scientific consensus from the 2018 update to the National Academy of Sciences' (NAS) report, 'Veterans and Agent Orange,' which concluded there was inadequate or insufficient evidence of an association between herbicide agents and these conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic vascular disease, atherosclerosis of the aorta
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 30, 2023
- Citation
- 23019776
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 23019776.
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 case due to errors in developing evidence related to possible ionizing radiation exposure and TERA participation. The claim will be reconsidered with proper development of this information.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error, and will need to obtain a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's cause of death.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for bradycardia, atherosclerosis of the aorta, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), all secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The rating for PTSD was restored from 30% to 50%, effective March 21, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's right knee condition has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board is remanding this issue for further development. Additionally, earlier effective dates are being sought for TDIU and Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.