Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion and attempting to obtain private hospital records. The Veteran's cause of death is being evaluated based on his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and earlier effective dates for PTSD and TDIU, finding no current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and insufficient evidence to support the presumption of herbicide exposure. The earlier effective dates were granted for PTSD and TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease status post percutaneous coronary intervention and myocardial infarction prior to December 12, 2013 was denied.,The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 60 percent for service-connected ischemic heart disease status post percutaneous coronary intervention and myocardial infarction from April 1, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it requires an updated VA examination and opinion.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various issues, including service connection claims and an increased rating claim. The Board found no evidence of PTSD or a diagnosis thereof, and the right knee disability did not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's ischemic heart disease is aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus and if it was caused by herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease (including coronary artery disease) due to herbicide exposure should be August 31, 2010, as this is the earliest date when the liberalizing law was enacted. The Veteran's claim was received within one year of this effective date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy due to exposure to Agent Orange are denied as there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand.

The Board determined that the cause of death was not service-connected, as there was no evidence linking the Veteran's lung cancer to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's heart disorder and his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiac disability, claimed as hypertensive heart disease, secondary to his service-connected pulmonary fibrosis is being remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records and clarification on the baseline level of severity of the non-service connected disabilities.

The Veteran's heart disability, which includes rheumatic fever with secondary rheumatic heart mitral valve disease and coronary artery disease with single vessel stent placement, is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of the conditions listed, including Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating and extension of the temporary total convalescence rating was granted, with an effective date of March 1, 2009.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disease were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor are they proximately due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease or atrial fibrillation, and thus service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding service connection for coronary artery disease and reopening claims for diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD.

The Board has ordered additional development due to the need for medical records from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, and a VA examination is required if these records indicate an in-service heart condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication, including issuance of a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).