The Board granted earlier effective dates for arteriosclerotic heart disease and Dependents' Educational Assistance but denied increased ratings for the heart condition and depressive disorder.
The deciding factor: The decision was based on the Veteran's continuous pursuit of his claims and the application of the PACT Act, which provided a presumption of service connection due to toxic exposures during Gulf War service.
- Claimed conditions
- arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) with acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Gulf War
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 2, 2025
- Citation
- A25040482
What this means for you
A partial grant means some issues were granted while others were denied or remanded — common in multi-issue claims. Look at which issues went which way, and how each was argued.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress and insomnia disorder was dismissed due to a procedural defect involving the claims-processing rules.
- Partly granted
The Board denied service connection for a right knee condition, denied initial compensable ratings for tension headaches and unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, granted an initial 10 percent rating for GERD, and denied initial compensable ratings for erectile dysfunction.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for a psychiatric disability, to include unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, due to an incomplete evidentiary record.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an earlier effective date for the 70 percent rating and a TDIU, but denied SMC based on housebound status.
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.