Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of diabetes mellitus, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, or peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities that are related to his service or herbicide exposure. The heart condition is not presumed due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional verification of the Veteran's claimed in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and a need for a VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for various service connection claims, including those related to his throat disorder and diabetes mellitus, have been withdrawn. The claim for a throat disorder was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart disability, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities were also denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and prostatitis can be decided.

The Board found that the Veteran's prostate cancer, heart disorder, and peripheral artery disease are not related to his service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The claims for these conditions were denied.

The Board found insufficient evidence to establish herbicide exposure during service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and heart condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and an increased rating for limited motion of the jaw were denied. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for his claimed heart disability, as it was neither caused nor aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. For the period prior to November 16, 2011, he did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for limited motion of the jaw. Since November 16, 2011, he is assigned the maximum, 40 percent schedular rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities were denied as there is no evidence to support a direct relationship with his military service or exposure to contaminants at Camp Lejeune. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 was also denied due to lack of evidence showing VA's failure to exercise reasonable care in providing treatment.

The Veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease effectively resulted in the loss of use of both feet, meeting the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for automobile or adaptive equipment.

The Veteran seeks service connection for breathing condition (emphysema), coronary artery disease, and depression. The Board finds that additional development is necessary to determine the nature of his exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his cardiovascular and cervical spine conditions, render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of unemployability due to these disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is granted as it is presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure during his verified service in Korea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of skeletal arthritis, residuals of cold injury to bilateral feet, cold injury to upper extremities, or cold injury to lower extremities. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.,Regarding the Veteran's bilateral knee disorder and bilateral hip strain, the Board finds that there is no evidence showing a relationship between his current disabilities and service. The VA examiner opined that these conditions are more likely due to natural aging process rather than service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, entitlement to a reduction in rating for his schizophrenia (now PTSD), and entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD, TBI, GERD, and TDIU. The decision also found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass with residual scar has been granted. The effective date remains June 20, 2006.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease were rated at 30 percent from August 1, 2011 through August 23, 2015. The rating was increased to 100 percent effective January 16, 2017.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected, and he has a compensable disability rating for hearing loss in the left ear. The Veteran's peripheral vascular disease of the legs is rated at 20 percent each, with no higher ratings due to lack of ulceration or massive edema.,Service connection is denied for sleep disorder (presumably insomnia) as secondary to service-connected peripheral vascular disease of the legs. Service connection is also denied for left shoulder pain as not related to any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for dysthymic disorder and service connection for ischemic heart disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including new examinations.