The appeal was granted, restoring service connection for atrial fibrillation (AFIB) effective August 21, 2019. The claim for an earlier effective date for hypertension was denied.
The deciding factor: The November 2020 rating decision incorrectly presumed atrial fibrillation (AFIB) as a disability associated with tactical herbicide agent(s), which was found to be erroneous and undebatable, leading to the severance of service connection being improper. The Veteran's claim for hypertension prior to August 10, 2022, was denied due to lack of timely appeal.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial fibrillation (AFIB), hypertension, skin cancer, anxiety, depression, PTSD, neuropathy of the left upper extremity, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, neuropathy of the left lower extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 26, 2025
- Citation
- A25055701
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 Board granted an effective date of October 21, 2021, for the grant of service connection for hypertension.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder to ensure a proper examination and etiology opinion are provided.
- Dismissed
The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including prostate cancer and related disabilities, urinary incontinence, sleep apnea, hypertension, varicose veins, lumbar spine disability, hip arthritis, shoulder arthritis, ankle arthritis, knee strain, knee replacement, and hand arthritis. The only condition granted was a 10 percent rating for a fracture of the right proximal first metacarpal.
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