Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Veteran's emergency medical treatment for chest pain and tingling in the legs was approved as it met the criteria of a medical emergency, with no feasible VA facility available within reasonable time.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was received by VA on September 16, 1994. The effective date of the award is set at that time due to the presumption of exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease. The TDIU claim is also pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for skin rashes, a bilateral leg condition and a bilateral foot condition prior to the Board's decision. The case is being remanded for an increased rating for coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and his military service.

The Board found no current ischemic heart disease disability and concluded that the Veteran's claimed heart condition is not related to service or any service-connected conditions. The claim was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and deck logs, verifying exposure to dioxin from diesel exhaust fumes, and providing an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertensive heart disease / LVH are all found to be related to his military service. The appeal is granted for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death was related to his military service, specifically hypertension or ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and malaria did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation during the period from August 4, 2011 through March 13, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and ischemic heart disease are being remanded due to the need for further development regarding in-service herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities has been denied as his combined disability rating is not high enough to meet the schedular criteria, and there is no evidence that he is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease prevents him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) effective November 3, 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and coronary artery disease have rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU grant.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease prevents him from maintaining gainful employment for which he would otherwise be qualified.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD with anxiety and depression, mild thoracolumbar strain, malaria, and scars, preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus are granted due to his Vietnam-era service and the associated presumptive conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to secure all relevant medical records, including those from Grand Strand Regional Medical Center. The ratings for PTSD and CAD will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder, to include a heart murmur. The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) is currently rated at 60 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on current evidence.