The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease with valve replacement residuals is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for hypertension on a direct basis is denied as there was no evidence of the condition during active service or within one year after separation. The claims for recurrent gastrointestinal disability and erectile dysfunction are remanded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran served in Vietnam and has been diagnosed with coronary artery disease, which can be presumed due to herbicide agent exposure. Hypertension is not shown during service or within the required presumptive period. The gastrointestinal and erectile dysfunction claims require further examination and evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- coronary artery disease with valve replacement residuals, hypertension, recurrent gastrointestinal disability to include irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), erectile dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 9, 2026
- Citation
- A26020957
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 A26020957.
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.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for diabetes mellitus type II with erectile dysfunction was denied as the evidence did not show that he had been diagnosed and manifested to at least a 10 percent disability rating on or prior to May 8, 2001.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to conflicting opinions regarding service connection for peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and skin disabilities related to herbicide exposure.
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