Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance or at the housebound rate.

Service connection was denied for a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea. The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision.,The initial rating of 10 percent for CAD prior to February 26, 2010, is maintained as there were no significant cardiac symptoms during this period.,No new evidence has been presented to reopen service connection for PTSD, and the current evaluation remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that TDIU is granted from April 17, 2012 to May 13, 2013, and from September 1, 2013.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted service connection on a presumptive basis due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and posttraumatic stress disorder, have rendered him unable to use his lower extremities without the aid of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair. The RO is directed to review the evidence and determine if he meets the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, rated at 60 percent disabling, is found to be of such nature and severity as to prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or its inland waterways, and thus is not entitled to presumptive service connection for his claimed conditions. The evidence does not establish a link between any current disabilities and active service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to March 29, 2016 is dismissed as moot due to the assignment of a TDIU rating based solely on CAD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition is not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service and no current disability. The examiner opined it was less likely than not caused by his hypertension.

The Veteran died in March 2010 from cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, and coronary artery disease. The appellant submitted evidence that she paid for the burial expenses but did not pay for a plot or gravesite. Since the Veteran was not receiving VA compensation at the time of his death and there is no indication he had pending claims for benefits, as well as no showing of improper admission to a VA facility, the claim for nonservice-connected burial benefits is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED for additional development, including VA examinations and a determination by the Director of Compensation Service regarding TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a heart disability, ischemic stroke, and dry eye syndrome has been granted. The heart disability is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA medical records and will need to obtain all relevant records before deciding the service connection claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand and has been granted service connection for prostate cancer, type II diabetes mellitus, and ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted. He is now entitled to a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease prior to August 22, 2013, and a noncompensable rating for the scars associated with his squamous cell carcinoma of the left lung, status post lobectomy.

The Veteran's appeals for obstructive sleep apnea, PTSD evaluation, and TDIU have been withdrawn.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease and his appeal regarding a higher rating for degenerative joint disease (left shoulder) remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is currently rated at 30 percent from April 16, 2014. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on the METs levels and symptoms reported.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) did not have onset during service, was not caused by service, and is not related to his service-connected anxiety and depression disorder. Therefore, he is not entitled to service connection for CAD.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed heart condition, including hypertension and tachycardia. Additionally, the AOJ must consider whether any further development is needed before deciding the Veteran's claim for service connection for current residuals of TBI.