Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's hypertension, myocardial infarction (coronary heart disease), and major depressive disorder with anxious distress are all granted as service-connected.

The Veteran withdrew all his pending claims on appeal, including those for service connection and ratings for various conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to missing treatment records and the need for additional development.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for a heart disability, to include coronary artery disease, is granted on the basis of presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service. The grant of service connection for this condition renders moot any other theories of service connection.,For the entire rating period prior to May 28, 2015, an initial disability rating of 80 percent for chronic kidney disease is granted.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease as the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or have evidence of exposure to herbicide agents. The causes of death (colon cancer) were not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes have been granted. The issues of residuals of an eye injury, diabetic retinopathy secondary to diabetes, hypertension secondary to diabetes, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities secondary to diabetes are remanded.

The Board granted an effective date of December 1, 1997 for DIC benefits due to the Veteran's death from a covered herbicide-related disease (Coronary artery disease).

The Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for PTSD is dismissed. A 100 percent rating for ischemic heart disease is granted, subject to the laws and regulations governing the award of monetary benefits. The issue of an effective date prior to January 23, 2012 for service connection for ischemic heart disease is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for reimbursement of medications prescribed during his emergency heart surgery at EPMC is granted. However, the appeal for reimbursement of private laboratory testing conducted after discharge is denied.

The Board has remanded several claims, including those for initial compensable ratings for bilateral dry eye disorder and tension headaches, service connection for various conditions, and a VA examination is required to address the etiology of hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cancer of the neck, heart condition, and diabetes mellitus type II are remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure in Korea.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure in Vietnam. The claims will be further developed.

The Veteran's death is due to multiple conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease. The Board finds it unclear if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Korea, which could affect his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease prior to February 9, 2017 was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher than 10 percent disability rating. For the period since February 9, 2017, the Veteran's condition also did not warrant a higher than 30 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for further evaluation due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a new medical opinion regarding whether his hypertension is caused or aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease or diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including generalized anxiety disorder, heart disease, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU as of June 25, 2013.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including right finger disability, cervical spine disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, heart disability (to include coronary artery disease), hypertension, high cholesterol, melanoma, diabetes mellitus, headaches, and acquired psychiatric disability (to include anxiety).

The Board has determined that remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination to determine when coronary artery disease or any other form of ischemic heart disease may have started, as well as to assess the current severity of his peripheral vascular disease.

The Veteran's initial claim for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to August 20, 2013 was denied. The effective date for the award of service connection for CAD is also denied.,The Veteran seeks a retroactive effective date for his service-connected CAD prior to July 6, 2011.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange), is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his alleged exposure at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.