Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted TDIU for the entire period on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being reopened and granted for PTSD. The cervical spine disability claim is also being granted, but the psychiatric disorder other than PTSD claim remains pending. Other claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD with alcohol dependence, and peripheral vascular disease, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran seeks service connection for ischemic heart disease. The VA has determined that the current evidence is insufficient to establish a direct link between his active duty and his current condition, but has referred the case back to the RO for further development.

The Board has determined that the reduction in rating of the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease from 60% to 30%, effective October 1, 2013, was not proper due to lack of actual improvement in disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations to clarify which of his multiple heart diagnoses are related to his service-connected cardiac arrest.

The Board has denied reopening of the Veteran's previously denied claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, heart disability, and bilateral hearing loss did not arise in service or are otherwise etiologically related to his active duty service. The claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating or entitlement to TDIU as his symptoms do not warrant a disability rating in excess of 60 percent. The Board finds that he is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records, specifically a December 2010 thallium stress test report. The Veteran is requested to provide information regarding this record and for a second attempt to obtain it.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, and the appeal of service connection for a heart disability will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability for the period from September 3, 2014 to January 29, 2015.

The Board found no current diagnosis of a heart disorder and denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed heart condition.,For varicose veins, the Board determined that prior to June 3, 2010, there was not sufficient evidence to warrant an increased rating beyond 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeals were denied for higher ratings for diabetes mellitus with hypertension and erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease prior to May 12, 2011, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity. The claims are based on direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone did not prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to May 30, 2014.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, which are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD and found no evidence of service connection for a right or left knee disability. The issue of ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 24, 2009 for service connection of coronary artery disease was denied as the earliest evidence of a claim was received on that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including heart disability, thyroid disability, dementia, prostate disability, glaucoma, cervical spine disability, and Alzheimer's disease, did not have their onset during active service or for many years thereafter and are not otherwise causally related to his military service. Therefore, these claims of service connection are denied.