Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion evidence regarding his current diagnosis and whether any heart disease is caused or made worse by his service-connected peripheral vascular disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease (CAD) are denied. The Board finds that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active military service. Service connection is also denied for increased evaluations for tinea versicolor, left knee degenerative joint disease with limitation of motion, and left knee instability.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury was withdrawn by the appellant. The Board has determined that the Veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of any heart disability. Additional VA or private treatment records are needed, and a VA examination by a cardiologist is required.

The Veteran's appeal of his service connection claims for residuals of a broken right fifth finger and residuals of a broken nose have been withdrawn. The remaining issues are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD has been granted. The Board also found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the claim of service connection for CAD, which is now pending.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is currently rated at 60 percent effective June 12, 2008.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for an additional heart disability is being remanded due to new evidence suggesting a possible connection between his current conditions and VA treatment in March 2004.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and therefore, he is not entitled to presumptive service connection for any conditions related to Agent Orange exposure. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a heart disorder, including cardiomyopathy and hypertensive heart disease. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the nature and etiology of any current heart disorders.

The Veteran's appeal involves increased ratings for multiple service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, and peripheral vascular disease of both legs. The Board has ordered additional examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% since the date of his claim, effective March 2012.,The Veteran's CAD and diabetes mellitus are both rated at 60% prior to January 17, 2012, and thereafter at 30%. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy is rated at 20%, and tinnitus at 10%. Bilateral hearing loss has no compensable rating.,The Veteran was granted service connection for erectile dysfunction with SMC effective January 17, 2012. He also received service connection for sternotomy scar and coronary artery disease effective August 20, 2010.,Service connection is granted for B-cell Leukemia as due to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange). Service connection is denied for chlorance and soft tissue sarcoma.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, and hypertension.

The Veteran's initial ratings for coronary artery disease and migraines have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart condition is not related to his service-connected deviated septum and denied both his claim for service connection and his TDIU claim. The Veteran has multiple disabilities, including diabetes and chronic kidney disease, which prevent him from engaging in substantial gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining whether the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during service. The appeal is currently in a pending status.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran's representative and missing VA treatment records. The claims will be re-adjudicated after obtaining these records.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of heart disease or ischemic heart disease, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's previous findings were either due to EKG artifacts or unrelated to his diabetes mellitus.

The Board has remanded the case for several reasons, including obtaining records related to stroke treatment and clarifying a statement in the February 2010 VA examination report. The Veteran's claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease are also addressed.