Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer as being due to exposure to Agent Orange during military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic organic heart disease was reopened, but his request for increased ratings for PFB with scarring and prostatitis were denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease, associated with herbicide exposure, was denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is September 8, 1993.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and therefore grants a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus are service-connected for the purpose of retroactive benefits under Nehmer v. United States Department of Veterans Affairs, and his cause of death is being further evaluated.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of ischemic heart disease was part of his earlier October 2007 claim. The effective date is set at October 2007.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not so severely disabling as to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board denies his claim for TDIU.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to the need for medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease was denied as there is no prior informal or formal claim found in the record, and the liberalizing regulation providing presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease (which includes coronary artery disease) did not apply to his case.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to August 31, 2010. The only service-connected disability prior to that date was noncompensable residuals of right great toe fracture. There is no legal basis to assign an earlier effective date due to the Veteran not being a covered class member for the Nehmer exception and his lack of unemployability solely due to this disability.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to exposure to herbicide agents during active military service.

The Veteran's CAD was initially granted effective December 27, 1995. The Board has now granted a 100 percent evaluation for the entire appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for compensation for heart disease and stroke under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 were denied because the evidence did not show that his conditions resulted from an event not reasonably foreseeable or any carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, error in judgment, or similar instance of fault on VA's part.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA examination of his bilateral hearing loss and a Statement of the Case regarding the reopening of his claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and considering his claim for TDIU. The case will be returned to the Board after these actions are completed.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for heart disease and atrial fibrillation, finding new and material evidence. The kidney removal is not related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's dental disability, manifested by periodontal disease, bleeding gums, and loss of teeth, is not a compensable disability for which VA compensation may be granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his sleep apnea and heart disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, due to herbicide exposure, is being remanded for additional development.