Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The remaining issues on appeal are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease (CAD) was granted, and he is now rated at 60 percent effective from April 2, 2014. The current disability picture warrants this increased rating.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that no new and material evidence had been received to support the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, as there is no competent evidence showing a link between his in-service experiences and any of the conditions he claims. The preponderance of the evidence is against all of the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was not incurred or presumed to be incurred in service, and the Board found no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange during his active duty.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for all of the remaining issues on appeal, including service connection claims and a claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for Dupuytren's contracture of the right hand.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for degenerative arthritis of the right knee is granted. The issue of service connection for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (claimed as heart condition with irregular heartbeat) is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant (Veteran) withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including providing notice consistent with Kent v. Nicholson and obtaining SSA records.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a heart disorder, which includes various arrhythmias and congenital AV fistula. The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional medical evidence and determine whether his current condition is related to military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hand disorder and valvular heart disease were not shown to be related to service or a service-connected disability. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to obtain his service personnel records and determine if he was exposed to herbicides in Korea, which could potentially grant him service connection for prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension. The issue of entitlement to service connection for hypertension is also inextricably intertwined with the other claims.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for ischemic heart disease based on herbicide exposure was denied. The Board found that the August 2002 claim did not involve ischemic heart disease and thus, the Nehmer provisions are inapplicable.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale provided by Dr. Ayala's opinion regarding the Veteran's use of NSAIDs and its contribution to his heart disease.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation for coronary artery disease status post CABG and coronary stent placement is being remanded due to missing medical records from relevant facilities.

The Veteran's post-coronary artery bypass graft was granted a 10 percent rating prior to October 13, 2011, and a 60 percent rating since that date.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for a heart disorder is pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased ratings for his psychiatric disorder and coronary heart disease, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeal, citing the dismissal of all issues due to the withdrawal.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of service connection for cause of death based on ischemic heart disease or respiratory condition.