The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus II, and pancreatic cancer as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service, including herbicide exposure.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that it is less likely than not that the Veteran had diagnoses of IHD, DM II, or pancreatic cancer. The Veteran's STRs and post-service medical records did not document any diagnosis for these conditions during his active duty or after service.
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic heart disease, Diabetes mellitus II, Pancreatic cancer
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 13, 2025
- Citation
- A25042657
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the R(1) rate due to his need for regular aid and attendance.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings of ischemic heart disease and diabetes, and these claims are dismissed.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his pancreatic cancer was related to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension from August 10, 2022, under the PACT Act. The claim for a thyroid disability was denied.
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