Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the validity of the Veteran's claims for PTSD and a heart disorder, including obtaining VA treatment records and examining the Veteran for PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA psychiatric examination to assess the severity of his PTSD and determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied claims for service connection for depression with stress, heart disease, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The claim for residuals of left ankle injury was remanded due to a request for reconsideration.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disorders and Type II diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need to obtain his STRs, confirm herbicide exposure at Eglin Air Force Base, and provide VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board found that the appellant's heart disability, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated during his active service. The conditions preexisted his second period of active duty from September 2001 to September 2002 and were not aggravated beyond their natural progression.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current tinnitus, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide an adequate examination regarding his service-connected coronary artery disease, chronic venous insufficiency of the right leg, and chronic venous insufficiency of the left leg.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support a finding of herbicide exposure during service, and thus the Veteran's cause of death cannot be presumed to have been incurred in or as a result of active service. The Board also determined that the Veteran did not suffer from any conditions related to his military service at the time of his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current low back disability, right knee disability, or persistent cough for which service connection can be granted. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, diagnosed as coronary artery disease, is granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicides. His colon polyps are also granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for essential hypertension and coronary artery disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability as defined by VA, and thus denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. For hypertension and coronary artery disease, the Board determined there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation from service, and therefore denied service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and obtaining treatment records from the Jackson VA Medical Center. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) has also been raised.

The Veteran's increased ratings for CAD associated with hypertension were denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease has not been manifested by chronic congestive heart failure, a workload of 3 METs or less resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent. As such, the Veteran's disability rating remains at 60 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability manifested by bilateral foot swelling for which service connection may be granted. The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is currently rated as 30 percent disabling, and there is no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits records and a VA examination addressing whether his service-connected asthma condition has aggravated his cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current level of disability due to coronary artery disease and whether he is unable to obtain or maintain substantial employment due to his service-connected disabilities.