Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the medical records.

The Veteran's total rating for coronary artery disease was granted effective August 12, 2013. SMC is also granted starting from that date.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease. The Board finds that the earliest possible effective date is August 14, 1998, as this is when the disability arose and he was a Nehmer class member with presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's heart disability, headaches, fatigue, and joint and muscle pain are all found to be related to service. The initial rating for PTSD is also granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents, is being remanded for additional development.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for ischemic heart disease and granted it on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran's statements regarding his exposure have been found credible, and he is now entitled to service connection for ischemic heart disease.

The Board's decision was vacated by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and thus the motion to revise or reverse is dismissed.

The Board's decision was vacated by the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and thus the motion to revise or reverse is dismissed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, a heart disability, and a bilateral shoulder disability. The evidence does not support finding that these conditions are related to his military service.,Service treatment records do not show any diagnosis of diabetes or its complications during service. The September 2015 VA examiner opined it would be speculative to determine if the Veteran's current diabetes is caused by his service-connected pancreatitis.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, bilateral leg disability related to active duty complaints of cramps and pain, and obstructive sleep apnea. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of left thumb fracture with osteoarthritic changes was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's COPD and heart disorder are not service-connected, as they are either not causally related to his military service or were aggravated by his service-connected asbestosis.

The Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, was granted a 60 percent rating from October 1, 2014. The TDIU claim was denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for entitlement to increased ratings for coronary artery disease status post bypass grafting, with the Board finding that the current assigned ratings adequately reflect his disability picture.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his period of active duty service. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current diagnosis for hearing loss, lung condition (asbestos exposure), and heart condition (herbicide exposure). However, additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's death was due to ischemic heart disease, which is presumptively service-connected based on Agent Orange exposure. The appellant's claim for DIC benefits was reopened and granted effective June 9, 2010.

The Veteran's hypertension is service-connected on a direct basis. The initial rating for coronary artery disease prior to November 28, 2016 was granted at 30 percent and since then has been increased to 60 percent.

The Veteran's death was caused by severe anoxic encephalopathy with underlying causes of respiratory failure and status post cardiopulmonary arrest. His service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II, associated with herbicidal agent exposure, did not cause or substantially contribute to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for issuance of a statement of the case addressing his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for service-connected ischemic heart disease, including earlier effective date issues.

The Board found that the cause of the Veteran's death, atherosclerotic heart disease, was not related to his service and thus denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.