The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus are granted as due to herbicide exposure during service.,Service connection for thrombocytopenia is denied, while depression secondary to ischemic heart disease is granted.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides in Thailand and concluded that his ischemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus are due to this exposure. Service connection for thrombocytopenia was denied, but service connection for depression secondary to ischemic heart disease is granted based on the Veteran's job loss.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, thrombocytopenia (low white blood platelets), depression
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Burn pits / airborne hazards
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 2, 2024
- Citation
- 24005607
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 24005607.
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 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 Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining in-service psychiatric treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any acquired psychiatric disorder.
- Denied
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to July 1, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity. For TDIU, the Veteran had multiple service-connected disabilities but his education and work experience were sufficient for sedentary or light labor employment.
- Granted
The Veteran's depression was rated at 50 percent prior to September 27, 2017. From September 27, 2017, the rating for depression increased to 70 percent.
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