Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings and service connection claims related to valvular heart disease with sinus tachycardia, hypertension, COPD, and myocardial infarction as the appellant requested withdrawal of her appeal.

The Veteran's cause of death, which included cardiogenic shock and coronary arteriosclerosis, is considered service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service at Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Bases.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 15, 2013, for the award of a 100 percent rating for PTSD. The appeal is remanded for additional development regarding service connection for ischemic heart disease and epilepsy.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was received on June 13, 1995. The effective date of the grant of service connection is therefore set at that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable, as his PTSD and diabetes impacted his employment but were not the sole cause of his inability to work.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's heart disorder is related to his in-service asbestos exposure. The claim will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was granted a 100 percent disability rating effective from September 2012. The Board also remanded issues related to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, SMC based on the need for aid and attendance, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, including aspiration pneumonia due to Parkinson’s disease and contributing causes such as arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease with associated coronary artery bypass graft, are not at least as likely as not related to a service-connected disability. The VA examiner's opinion is considered more probative than the private practitioner's opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service in Vietnam, and therefore, he is entitled to presumptive service connection for ischemic heart disease.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, as these conditions are presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease is denied as there was no indication of intent to apply for VA benefits prior to June 25, 1998.

The Veteran's death was not due to his own willful misconduct, but the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under section 1318 of the U.S. Code are not met because he did not meet the requirement of having a continuous total disability rating for at least 10 years before his death.

The Veteran's service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death, and the Board grants service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, heart disability, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The decision found no current disabilities meeting VA criteria for hearing loss or diabetes, and that there was insufficient evidence to support presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, peripheral neuropathy (claimed as secondary to diabetes), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as secondary to diabetes) due to the lack of current diagnoses in the record.

The Veteran's wearable defibrillator was prescribed due to his severe coronary artery disease and stroke, which made surgery risky. The VA authorized the treatment but denied reimbursement for the defibrillator. The Board granted payment based on medical necessity.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease has been reopened, but the evidence does not support a finding of service connection.,Service connection was denied for left and right shoulder disabilities as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or condition that led to current disability.,There is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure during active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability and remanded the cases of hypertension, acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD), and their relationship to her service-connected condition. The claims are being reviewed due to new evidence presented.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU prior to December 12, 2012 is being remanded as the evidence shows he has been unable to work due to service-connected disabilities since at least December 2010.