Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board is remanding the case for further review due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service on the land mass of Vietnam, which could affect his claims for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and hypertensive heart disease due to inadequate examination results, lack of conclusive evidence regarding in-service onset or etiology, and need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran will be provided with a new VA examination and medical opinion.

The Veteran's heart disorder, including as secondary to herbicide exposure, was denied service connection. The Board also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, including a murmur and coronary artery disease, due to the lack of evidence showing a current condition or a link between active service and these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, including as due to herbicide exposure during his active duty in Thailand, requires additional development. This includes verifying his complete period of service and obtaining all relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's lumbar strain, heart disability, and acquired psychiatric condition. The cases will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, type II were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and that the Veteran’s diabetes mellitus, type II did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary atherosclerosis and angina pectoris (CAD) was denied in November 1988. The effective date of the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD), which is a form of CAD, was set at November 26, 2010.

The Veteran's cause of death, ischemic cardiomyopathy, is due to his service-connected coronary artery disease and Type II diabetes mellitus. The Board granted service connection for the cause of death based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents during active duty in Thailand.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence of the current severity and manifestations of the Veteran's heart condition, requiring an updated VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection of Coronary Artery Disease and granted a rating of 20 percent for scars (pilonidal cysts). The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of Coronary Artery Disease. The scars are painful and unstable, warranting a 20 percent rating.

Service connection for nonobstructive coronary artery disease is granted. Service connection for osteoporosis is denied. The issues regarding hypertension, pulmonary disease, calcifying plaquing distal abdominal aorta, right femoral endarterectomy, and peripheral vascular disease have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral knee disability and heart disability due to lack of supporting documentation in the Veteran's service records. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that these disabilities are related to service based on the Veteran's statements.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and PTSD, rendered him unemployable prior to September 5, 2012. The Board has ordered a remand for an examination to assess the combined effect of these conditions on his employability.

The Board is remanding the case due to incomplete medical records and a need for a medical opinion regarding whether the service-connected anxiety disorder caused or aggravated the heart condition that led to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render her unemployable, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective August 19, 2004.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and ischemic heart disease (IHD), finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure and presumed herbicide agent exposure, respectively.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for nonservice-connected pension and cervical spine disability. The Board dismissed the appeals as a result.