The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and an initial rating of 30 percent for arteriosclerotic heart disease (CAD) with presence of coronary angioplasty implant and graft. Other claims were denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's exposure to herbicides during his nautical service in Da Nang harbor and the offshore eligible waters of Vietnam, combined with a current diagnosis of DM, led to the grant of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II under the presumption of service connection. The 30 percent rating was granted based on METs levels.
- Claimed conditions
- Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease (CAD) with presence of coronary angioplasty implant and graft, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Diabetes Mellitus, Type II (DM), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- June 18, 2025
- Citation
- A25053503
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,820 · Granted: 26% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 A25053503.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence shows a current diagnosis of PTSD, an in-service stressor, and a medical link between the two.
- Denied
The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 50% since March 23, 2004. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted prior to February 15, 2005 due to the severity of his symptoms and their impact on his social and occupational functioning.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and any acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current mental health conditions and his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD resulted in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 70% disability rating. The Veteran also met the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.
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