Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2017

The Veteran's current diagnosis of coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction is not related to his in-service heart murmur and thus service connection for this disability is denied.

The Veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a cancer/cancer-type condition and service connection for ischemic heart disease, to include as due to exposure to herbicide agents. The case has been remanded for further development including obtaining private medical records, developing the issue of herbicide exposure in Korea, and providing an examination to address his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease and type II diabetes mellitus are related to his service in Thailand during the Vietnam Era due to herbicide exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for coronary artery disease was granted at a 30 percent rating effective April 24, 2015. The TDIU claim is pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of heart disease, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of extraschedular criteria.

The Board has expanded the issue on appeal to include consideration of whether service connection may be awarded for any heart disability. The Veteran's claim is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed heart conditions and their relationship to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a travel Board hearing. The Veteran's claims for service connection remain pending.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease with coronary artery disease status post bypass grafting is rated at a 100% disability rating from November 1, 2008 through January 14, 2013. Additionally, the Veteran is granted special monthly compensation (SMC) pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1114(s).

The Veteran is granted SMC based on housebound status beyond December 1, 2012. He has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent due to diabetes mellitus and its associated conditions.

The Veteran seeks TDIU based on his service-connected coronary artery disease and PTSD. The Board has determined that the December 2016 VA examination is inadequate, and a remand is required to obtain an addendum opinion from the examiner or another appropriate medical professional.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records, as well as potential consideration of new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date than August 31, 2010 for service connection for coronary artery disease status post percutaneous coronary intervention and status post myocardial infarction. The effective date of service connection was set by a regulatory amendment that added ischemic heart disease as a condition presumptively related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, pending in the late 1980s, is being remanded to obtain additional records and conduct further development.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for otitis media and service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, sleep apnea, ischemic heart disease, GERD, erectile dysfunction, renal failure, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and TDIU. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and diabetic nephropathy, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and job skills. The Board granted entitlement to a total disability rating for compensation based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's PTSD and CAD were found to meet the criteria for a 30 percent disability rating, which is the current maximum schedular evaluation available.

The Veteran's heart disability has not resulted in a workload of greater than 7 METs but not greater than 10 METs with dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness or syncope, cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation, congestive heart failure, or left ventricle ejection fraction of less than 50 percent. As such, the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a heart disability is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for DM and a heart disability were not addressed. The initial rating in excess of 10 percent for IVDS with degenerative arthritis changes (prior to September 28, 2013) was denied. The higher rating in excess of 20 percent for IVDS with degenerative arthritis changes (beginning on September 28, 2013) was also denied.