Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, including as due to his service-connected disabilities, is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was granted, and he is now rated at 30 percent. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of ischemic heart disease, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition. The claim is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his period of active duty for training, and thus service connection is granted. However, there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's coronary artery disease and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, ischemic heart disease, and cardiovascular disease to include hypertension and congestive heart failure. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicides in Vietnam, and there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has determined that there is no current disability related to service for the claimed right elbow disorder. The Veteran's statements regarding his right elbow injury are not supported by medical evidence and thus do not establish a current disability.

The Board has remanded the case for a new examination to clarify the nature of the Veteran's heart and/or vascular disability, or disabilities, and to assess whether the subdural hematoma resulting from Coumadin toxicity was caused or aggravated by his heart or vascular disabilities.

The Board found no evidence of a heart disorder or congestive heart failure with irregular heartbeat during service, and the Veteran's current conditions are not linked to his period of active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, which was rated as 10 percent disabling since January 20, 2010, is now rated as 30 percent disabling. The rating reflects the Veteran's workload of greater than 5 METs but not greater than 7 METs, resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, occasional angina, and nausea; however, his left ventricular ejection fraction was 60%, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain VA policies and procedures for dealing with emergent transfers, as these records may contain new and material evidence relevant to the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and review of his medical records.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the denial of service connection for a heart condition, a kidney condition, and hypertension in an August 2016 written statement.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to his military service and the claim for service connection has been granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed on both the sleep apnea and coronary artery disease claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and service-connected disabilities.

The Board has ordered additional development due to missing documents in the Veteran's file. The issues of service connection for the cause of death and the amount of burial benefits paid are being remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure or in-service injury related to the condition. The Veteran's statements about exposure were not credible and insufficient evidence supported a direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disability related to his active military service. The bilateral knee osteoarthritis did not have onset in service and was not caused or permanently aggravated by his active military service. The Veteran does not have a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease but has a diagnosis of GERD that had onset in service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being referred to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration due to his service-connected disabilities prior to May 18, 2011.

The Board finds that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, which is presumed due to his exposure to herbicides while on active duty, substantially contributed to his death and grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise whether the Veteran suffers from PTSD related to his active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.