Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2013

The Board found that there is no evidence to support a diagnosis of PTSD and the Veteran's symptoms do not meet the criteria for an acquired psychiatric disorder. Service connection was denied.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for examination and development of his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director, Compensation and Pension Service if deemed necessary.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea and a compensable rating for sinusitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his ischemic heart disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for verification of all periods of active duty service and obtaining missing records. The Veteran's claim for service connection remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to April 27, 2011.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and ensuring all necessary development is completed.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus Type II and coronary artery disease were not found to be related to service or herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, and a heart condition have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service disease or injury that would support these conditions. The Board finds the presumption of herbicide exposure does not apply to this case.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted with an effective date of September 3, 1997. The Board also remanded the issue of earlier effective dates for other benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to hypertension. Obstructive sleep apnea is addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to a request for a Travel Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bronchitis and osteoarthritis of the bilateral hips are being remanded to the RO.

The Veteran's claim for total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied as he is currently civilly committed to a secure mental health facility and thus barred from receiving TDIU benefits due to his felony convictions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, which is secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), diabetes mellitus, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), has been remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The Board requested additional development including obtaining medical records prior to 2004 and requesting an addendum opinion from the VA examiner.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a cardiovascular disorder other than coronary artery disease and essential hypertension has been withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy, were found to be of such a nature and severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to March 11, 2013. The Board denied the claim for TDIU rating.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for an additional disability due to treatment for coronary artery disease, but the appeal has been remanded due to missing records and a need to obtain authorization for private medical records.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review the claim further.

The Veteran's heart disorders were not shown to be related to his military service and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, claimed as PTSD, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not establish a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disorder related to active military service.,Service connection was granted for post-fracture status, left supraorbital ridge with headaches, and assigned a 40% rating effective from March 6, 2008. A separate 30% rating was granted for the Veteran's headache disability related to this condition, and a 10% rating was granted for loss of the left supraorbital sensory nerve secondary to the post-fracture status.