Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus type II and multiple neuropathies, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and that this condition is related to his service, including exposure to herbicides during his service in Vietnam. As such, the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, manifested by anxiety and depression, is related to service. The other claims are addressed below.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions, including colon cancer and its complications, are granted based on exposure to contaminants at Camp LeJeune. The Board found that the current diagnoses are causally related to his service-connected colon cancer.

The Board found that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, COPD, and stroke residuals were not due to herbicide exposure or service.,Service connection was denied for all three conditions as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for peripheral vascular disease, coronary artery disease, stroke, and diabetic cystopathy as there was no objective diagnosis in the record. The Veteran is currently rated at 20% for diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for lumbar spine disability and denied reopening of his cervical spine claim. The cervical spine claim was also denied as secondary to service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are related to his service, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicides and his assertions of setting foot in Vietnam. He is also required to undergo a VA examination for right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective December 14, 2010. The Board granted a TDIU rating from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for end stage heart failure status post left ventricular assist device cannot be reopened as there is no new and material evidence presented.

The Veteran's IHD status post CABG has been rated at 30 percent since May 1, 2011. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to that date.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, heart disorders (including valvular disorders), and left knee disability. The Veteran's claims were not based on presumptive exposure to environmental hazards.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities of decreased saliva production, transient ischemic attacks, heart disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease are not related to his service. As a result, he is denied entitlement to service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Thailand and the Veteran's service records do not indicate any symptoms or treatment for ischemic heart disease within one year after discharge. Therefore, the claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities make it impossible for him to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, both presumed to be due to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Thailand.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for non-service connected pension benefits, service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 (DM), and service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease was denied. The issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for residual cardiac surgical scar and the initial rating for coronary artery disease were also addressed.,The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass graft surgery, was rated as 10 percent prior to June 3, 2010 and as 30 percent thereafter. The appeal is denied.