The Board granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) on a direct or facts-found basis, based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his service at U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand.
The deciding factor: The circumstances of the Veteran's service placed him on or near the base perimeter on a regular basis, thereby exposing him to herbicide agents. Dr. P.C.'s opinion supported the connection between the Veteran's IHD and his military service, including exposure to herbicides.
- Claimed conditions
- ischemic heart disease (IHD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 7, 2025
- Citation
- 25006172
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 case for further development to verify the Veteran's claimed herbicide exposure while stationed in Korea from September 1967 to October 1968.
- Partly granted
The Board denied the claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus, finding that it preexisted service and did not increase in disability. The claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and pes planus were remanded for further development.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the appellant's eligibility for direct payment of attorney fees based on a total rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, but denied it for increased ratings for certain conditions.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a skin disorder diagnosed as seborrheic keratosis, and increased the rating for ischemic heart disease (IHD) to 60 percent from June 8, 2021. Other claims were denied.
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