Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2017

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a heart condition and prostate condition in a June 2017 written statement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served on and around the perimeter of U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. As a result, he is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during his service. The Board finds that the Veteran's current diagnoses of ischemic heart disease (including coronary artery disease) and diabetes mellitus are associated with this exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease and hypertension, finding no current disability related to service or herbicide exposure. The Veteran's hypertension was not found to be due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease with angina, gastroporesis, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, he is granted TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder. The remaining claims are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination. The effective date of his 100% rating for coronary artery disease needs clarification, and he may be scheduled for an audiometric evaluation to determine if his hearing loss is related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure, finding that the earliest possible effective date is August 31, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service and therefore, his claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, erectile dysfunction, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are presumed. Additionally, the evidence supports a finding of secondary service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease did not occur in service and is not otherwise related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for cardiac disease, including CAD, carotid artery stenosis and coronary bypass surgery as due to herbicide exposure at U-Tapao RTAFB. The Veteran's skin disorder of the bilateral feet is remanded for a VA examination.

The Veteran was not found to be unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities from April 1, 2006 to August 2, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for ischemic heart disease was denied. The Board also found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for hypertension as secondary to exposure to herbicide agents during service and his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board found that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and anxiety disorder NOS, did not begin during service or due to a service-connected disability. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease or Parkinson's disease, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease, is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in the Republic of Vietnam. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining psychiatric treatment records and providing a medical opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates were denied as the evidence did not show he was unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 8, 2011.

The Veteran's heart disability, hypertension, and diabetes were not shown to be related to service or due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's PTSD renders him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment as of March 11, 2008. His service-connected disabilities meet the criteria for a TDIU.