Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is denied as he does not meet the criteria due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board is remanding the case for further development to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's heart conditions and their relationship to her service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of ischemic heart disease before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and determined that the Veteran is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, leading to a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's IHD/CAD has been rated at 60 percent since October 25, 2011. The issue of a higher rating for this disability is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to service connection for ischemic heart disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability and increased ratings for his lower back disability, left leg varicose veins, and right and left leg sciatica. The Board found that there was no evidence of a direct relationship between the Veteran's current disabilities and his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, atrial fibrillation, and tinnitus. Service connection is established for these conditions due to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and left ventricular hypertrophy are currently rated at 30 percent, effective August 23, 2007. The current rating is appropriate given the Veteran's symptoms of shortness of breath and lack of walking and climbing endurance with an objective test showing a left ventricular ejection fraction greater than 50 percent and METs greater than 5.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete personnel records and unverified herbicide exposure claims. The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and penile sarcoma are being reviewed based on new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected hypertension and coronary artery disease were both granted, with the hypertension receiving a 10% rating.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the Veteran's heart disorder, right knee disorders, and left knee disorders are related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, a jaw or chin condition, and valvular heart disease. The claims were not granted as the evidence did not show a current disability related to these conditions.

The Veteran's death was caused by heart failure, but the Board is remanding the case to determine if any underlying causes of death are related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, vertigo, and a heart disability. The preexisting conditions were found to not be aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for ischemic heart disease was denied, and service connection for asthma and COPD were also denied. The TDIU claim prior to May 12, 2014, remains pending.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during his military service and thus no presumptive link to ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient opinions regarding service connection for COPD and incomplete VA treatment records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's death was caused by a shotgun wound to the head, but service-connected conditions such as diabetes and heart disease contributed substantially or materially to his death.