Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding his service-connected conditions, TDIU claim, and temporary total rating.

Service connection for CAD and PTSD was granted with effective dates of April 17, 2009. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for his heart disorders, including ischemic heart disease (presumed due to herbicide exposure), congenital AV fistula (aggravated by military service), supraventricular arrhythmia, valvular heart disease, and hypertensive heart disease.

The Veteran does not have any chronic additional disability as a result of the anesthesia administered during his EGD procedure, and therefore, compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Veteran's skin disorder (rash) had its onset during service and continues to the present day. The Board finds that service connection is warranted for this condition.

The Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed heart disorder or allergy to fragrances.,Service connection for these conditions was denied as there is no current evidence of such disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of shoulder injury or disease during service, and the Veteran did not present any credible argument to support his claim. As a result, the claims for service connection for shoulder arthritis, hypertension, heart disability, and erectile dysfunction were denied.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was rated at 10 percent prior to August 6, 2010, and at 30 percent from August 6, 2010 onwards. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in any period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure is being remanded as the VA has not obtained all relevant medical records and needs clarification from the Veteran's private cardiologist regarding his diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to verify his claimed stressor event and to determine if service connection can be granted for PTSD, which may impact the secondary claim for IHD.

The Board denied the reopening of a previously denied claim for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence, as the submitted evidence was cumulative and did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and heart disease are presumed to have been caused by his in-service herbicide exposure. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart conditions, including cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation, are not related to service or service-connected disability. The non-obstructive coronary artery disease is currently rated as 10% disabling.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for calcification of the left medial collateral ligament was granted, and his TDIU claim was also granted. The combined evaluation for compensation is now at 90 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's surgeries for scarring of the chest and back were caused by nonservice-connected bullous emphysema due to smoking, not his service-connected interstitial pulmonary fibrosis. The heart disorder was also attributed to nonservice-connected factors.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that his exposure to herbicides during his time at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand brought him near the air base perimeter. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an etiology opinion on his nonischemic heart disease.

The case is being remanded for additional development to obtain missing records, provide a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease, and determine the nature and etiology of his sleep apnea.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease was rated at 60 percent from December 3, 2013 to January 9, 2015.