Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the case for further development and reconsideration of the earlier effective date claim for coronary artery disease and type II diabetes mellitus, as well as the initial rating issue for a heart disability.

The Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease for VA purposes and the claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for lupus has been reopened, but the issue remains pending as new and material evidence has not yet been received.,Service connection for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (heart disability) is still under consideration.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and verifying herbicide exposure. The Veteran is seeking service connection for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction, all potentially related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not carry a diagnosis of heart disease and thus, there is no current disability to establish service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional medical opinions regarding his heart disability and diabetes mellitus claims. The VA will provide the necessary examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange, during service in Vietnam.

The Veteran was granted service connection for ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure in a June 2011 rating decision. The effective date is set at the earliest date of claim, March 21, 2011.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current heart disability and denied service connection for this condition. The appeal is limited to bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain records related to his coronary artery disease during the period from March 28, 2002 to February 4, 2011.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was not manifested by a workload of 7 METs or less, or cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation prior to April 11, 2005. The condition was not treated with an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD). Therefore, the initial rating higher than 10 percent for ischemic heart disease is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, penile disability (including erectile dysfunction and Peyronie's disease), ischemic heart disease, peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities were denied as there was no evidence to support a nexus between the disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals on all issues, indicating that the September 2016 rating decision granting him a 100% disability evaluation satisfied his appeal.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for heart disease, which he claims is due to herbicide exposure during his time in Thailand. The Board has ordered additional development related to this claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the need for updated VA examination records and consideration of his current condition.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of service connection for coronary artery disease associated with herbicide exposure is denied as there was no prior claim or denial received by VA prior to March 26, 2013.

The Veteran's service connection claims for refractive error, coronary artery disease, lumbar spine disorder, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been denied. The claim for increased rating of PTSD has also been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma as due to herbicide exposure during service in Thailand. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides while stationed at the Udorn Air Force Base.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination for his service-connected coronary artery disease and addendum opinions regarding his bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to appear for a scheduled hearing and because he recently changed his address. The appeal is being returned to the AOJ for further action.