Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2016

The Board has ordered additional VA examinations to determine the etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder and hypertension, both potentially related to in-service herbicide exposure. The claims are being remanded for these evaluations.

The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a re-adjudication of his PTSD rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to May 28, 2012.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease and finds that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides in Thailand, which allows him to be granted service connection for his condition.

The Veteran's cause of death is service connected due to his verified exposure to herbicides during active service, which presumptively grants him service connection for coronary artery disease as a contributory cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining outstanding VA medical records and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain private treatment records and provide the Veteran with an examination to determine if he has any cardiovascular disability, including ischemic heart disease, related to his active service. The appeal is currently in remand status.

The Veteran's spine disabilities, specifically degenerative joint disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine, are rated at 20 percent prior to July 9, 2009, and 40 percent beginning from that date. The Veteran also has right lower extremity radiculopathy as a neurological manifestation of his spine disability, which is separately rated at 10 percent prior to July 9, 2009, and 20 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, headaches, and sleep apnea have been denied as secondary to Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL).,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a mood disorder (claimed as depression) has also been denied as secondary to VHL.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disability and headaches were previously denied, but new evidence was submitted that raises the possibility of reopening these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic coronary artery disease has not improved to the point where a higher evaluation is warranted, and he does not meet the criteria for TDIU.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD due to lack of confirmation of the claimed in-service stressor. The claims for service connection for psychiatric disability other than PTSD and ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing due to scheduling issues and will be reconsidered after the hearing.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and a heart disorder, finding that the conditions did not manifest within one year of discharge from active duty and were not caused or aggravated by any aspect of active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic coronary artery disease was received on March 13, 2009. The effective date of the award is set to this date as it is later than when entitlement arose.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II are granted based on exposure to herbicides during active duty.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, including coronary atherosclerosis, is service connected as it falls under the presumptive criteria for herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and breast cancer, finding no evidence of a chronic disability at the time of filing or during its pendency. The Veteran's heart issues were not deemed to be due to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for neck and back disabilities, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to military service. The remaining claims have been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA and private treatment records and arranging for new VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition is related to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus, and thus grants service connection for this secondary condition.