Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Board found no evidence of service-connected heart disease, arthritis, or respiratory disability. The Veteran's hypertension was not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, and a TDIU rating of 60% has been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Dr. R.S. and VAMC Wilmington.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart condition with aortic valve repair were denied as there was no evidence of such conditions during his period of honorable service, and the Board found that secondary service connection based on hypertension is not viable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development to determine the nature of his Reserve service and whether any claimed disabilities are related to such service.

The Veteran's CAD has been rated at 60 percent since May 6, 2013. The effective date for this rating is May 6, 2013.

The Veteran is seeking to establish service connection for avascular necrosis of the left hip as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease with residual left ventricular hypertrophy, and also seeks an earlier effective date for his service connection and a higher initial rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for ischemic heart disease was dismissed as he withdrew his appeal during the hearing.,The claim of reopening a claim of service connection for chloracne was granted, but no new evidence was provided to support this.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for arthritis, hypertension, and a prostate condition. The claim for ischemic heart disease remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development including obtaining medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's CAD was rated at 60 percent prior to February 26, 2013. Since then, the disability has been rated as 100 percent due to chronic congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease was granted, with the effective date set at August 19, 1992. The issue of a higher initial rating for his service-connected condition remains pending.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated as non-compensable. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence does not support service connection for COPD, obstructive sleep apnea, vertigo, or a heart disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records and providing an opinion on whether service-connected PTSD contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for atherosclerotic heart disease, ischemic heart disease, and coronary artery disease as due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Hypertension is not service connected.

The Board denied presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus and all secondary conditions, finding that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam and thus was not presumed to be exposed to Agent Orange. The claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction and pacemaker placement was not productive of chronic congestive heart failure or an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension) do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left knee disability is service connected as secondary to his right knee and right ankle disabilities. The Board has granted this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease s/p stent placement, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.