Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and coronary artery disease rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to September 26, 2014. The Board granted entitlement to TDIU based on the severity of his disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including coronary artery disease, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, alcohol-related disorder, diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, and hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to December 8, 1995 for service connection of ischemic heart disease and prior to March 11, 2011 for SMC for housebound status are denied. The effective dates assigned by the RO were determined to be appropriate based on the evidence in the record.

The Board granted service connection for ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure, finding that the Veteran's death was caused by cardiovascular disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and assigned a 30% rating, effective June 4, 2010. The decision is based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure. The VA will need to verify the Veteran’s alleged exposure in Korea and schedule him for a new psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service at the Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. As a result, he is granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a review by the examiner who conducted the March 2015 VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to verify his exposure to herbicides and service in Vietnam.,His diabetes mellitus, type II claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with his other claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's brain stem stroke was caused by his service-connected ischemic heart disease, and thus grants service connection for this condition as secondary to the ischemic heart disease.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for additional medical opinions and development of records. The Veteran's hypertension, erectile dysfunction, left ankle strain, myocardial infarction (coronary artery disease), PTSD, and left knee arthoplasty are all under review.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service. The claims were reopened due to new material evidence regarding the Veteran's alleged second-hand exposure to herbicides in Japan.

The Board denied higher initial ratings for ischemic heart disease, digestive disability, and scar tissue on the right arm. The effective date of service connection for scar tissue was set at March 25, 2011.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for GERD and a lumbar spine disability are dismissed. The Veteran's appeal for TDIU beginning November 5, 2010 is granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus type II due to outstanding private treatment records being requested.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his T-cell Prolymphocytic Leukemia and heart disability were not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, finding that the Veteran's condition pre-existed his entry into service and was not aggravated by service. Service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is remanded due to exposure basis.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease, presumed due to herbicide exposure (Agent Orange), is granted.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for arthritis and heart condition, as well as reopening of claims for gastrointestinal disorder and PTSD. The VA is required to obtain SSA records, VA treatment records, workers' compensation records, and psychiatric examination records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a low back disorder, coronary artery disease (CAD), hepatitis/liver disease, and GERD has been reopened. Service connection is granted for the low back disorder and GERD. The CAD claim is denied as it did not manifest within one year of separation from service or was not caused by the service-connected postoperative tibial fracture with recurrent cellulitis.