Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Veteran's cause of death, multi-system failure, was at least as likely as not due to or contributed to substantially or materially to the cause of death by diabetes mellitus, type II, prostate cancer, and ischemic heart disease. These conditions are presumptive disorders resulting from Agent Orange exposure during service in Korea.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is service connected due to herbicide exposure during his time aboard the USS George K. Mackenzie in February 1969.

The Board has granted service connection for heart disease as secondary to medication used to treat his service-connected bilateral shoulder disability. The Veteran's current diagnosis of coronary artery disease is considered, and the Board finds that there is at least an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether the medications caused or aggravated his heart condition.

The appellant withdrew his appeal, citing the decision to dismiss.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service, and for further development in light of a recent court decision.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 12, 2011, for service connection of coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease were denied as his claims were received after the August 31, 2010, effective date for presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and assigned disability ratings, finding that his conditions are not related to military service or any recognized exposure basis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for arteriosclerotic heart disease and dermatophytosis were denied as the Veteran failed to report for scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease is dismissed as his appeal is not about service connection at all, but rather a request for a change in the effective date.

The Board found no direct evidence linking the Veteran's diagnosed conditions to his military service and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's ishemic heart disease, status post myocardial infarction and stent placement, was rated at 10 percent prior to December 2, 2013, and increased to 60 percent effective September 2, 2014.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 15, 2004 for the award of service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) diagnosed as coronary artery disease (CAD). The Veteran had atherosclerotic plaque formation as early as January 1997.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is related to service or secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to conflicting diagnoses and need for further medical opinions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a direct link to his military service or any service-connected condition. The VA examiners concluded that these conditions were more likely caused by other factors such as hyperlipidemia and hypertension itself.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease status post percutaneous intervention and stent placement has not been shown to meet the criteria for a higher evaluation, as his workload is less than or equal to 7 metabolic equivalents.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease as due to herbicide exposure, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that the Veteran's claim was not received within one year from his separation from service and did not meet other criteria for retroactive payment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and prostate cancer are all granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his active military service in Thailand.