Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's CAD was rated at 30 percent prior to December 21, 2005.,For the period from December 21, 2005, to January 24, 2010, a higher rating of 60 percent was denied.,Since January 25, 2010, a higher rating of 30 percent has also been denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal in July 2017.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a heart condition, postoperative residuals of left inguinal hernia, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. As such, these claims remain denied.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have qualifying 'service in the Republic of Vietnam' and thus could not establish herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, circulation issues, and multiple strokes was denied as there is no direct evidence linking these conditions to service.,There are no indications that the Veteran had any symptoms or treatment related to CAD during service. The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran had actual duty or visitation in Vietnam, which could potentially establish exposure to Agent Orange. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disability claim is being remanded for a new VA examination to consider direct service connection. The hypercholesterolemia issue remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further development, including obtaining SSA disability determination records and associated documents.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and service connection claims due to procedural issues, as well as denied his claim of a reduction in PTSD rating. The appeal was not addressed further.

The Veteran's service as a crew chief on P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft exposed him to herbicide agents. The Board finds that he has been granted service connection for coronary artery disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy secondary to type II diabetes mellitus due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back and cervical spine conditions are not related to service, but his bilateral hearing loss is presumed due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran also meets the criteria for a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.,Service connection is granted for ischemic heart disease.

The Board found no evidence of ischemic heart disease and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer and residuals were denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other pesticides, and the diseases are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected malaria is considered to have contributed to his death due to underlying cardiac disorders.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease were not pending before VA on May 3, 1989, or received by VA between that date and the effective date of the statute or regulation establishing a presumption of service connection for the covered diseases. Therefore, an earlier effective date is not warranted.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease was manifested by an exercise stress test without evidence of ischemia at 89 percent of max predicted heart rate, preserved ejection fraction, and assessments of symptoms such as angina, fatigue, shortness of breath with exertion, and dizziness. There was no evidence of acute congestive heart failure or workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings for his sciatic peripheral neuropathy, as well as his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease, post-coronary artery bypass graft, has been productive of a workload of 3 METs or less resulting in dyspnea and fatigue. The Board finds that the criteria for a 100 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7017 are met.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective April 5, 2013.

The Board found that the Veteran's atrial fibrillation did not result from his service-connected coronary artery disease, and thus denied a temporary total rating for convalescence following pacemaker implantation surgery.