Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to have been incurred during his active service in Thailand due to herbicide exposure, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the appeals related to PTSD, sleep apnea, and coronary artery disease.

The Board found that the Veteran did not serve near the base perimeter of Takhli RTAFB and thus herbicide exposure is not conceded on a direct or facts-found basis. As such, IHD was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for service connection and rating issues, with the exception of a TDIU claim which is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the VA's failure to attempt to obtain records of private medical treatment for his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA cardiology examination and referring the issue of entitlement to TDIU earlier than July 26, 2011, to VA's Director of Compensation Service. The claims on appeal will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, but denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates. The case is being remanded to issue a Statement of the Case on these issues.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the case is no longer under consideration.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, which was cardiopulmonary arrest due to pneumonia with dysphagia and CAD, is not service-connected. The VA medical opinions found no causal relationship between his service-connected conditions and his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are denied as there is no current diagnosis or credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has been found to preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment since February 17, 2009. The TDIU is granted.

The Board found no evidence of current disabilities for heart condition, enlarged prostate, or lymph node condition. The Veteran's service treatment records do not show any chronic conditions related to the knees, lower extremity spasms, shoulders, arms, or surgeries.

The Veteran's death was caused by progressive debility and decline (disease associated viruses) with contributory conditions of hypertension, coronary artery disease (CAD), prostate cancer, and hypothyroidism. The Board finds that the service-connected diseases substantially contributed to his cause of death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, heart disability, hypertension, and type II diabetes mellitus have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran is entitled to an additional $9,494 in retroactive payment for the August 2011 grant of benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, and a heart disability to include ischemic heart disease were denied. Service connection was granted for hypertension but not for the other conditions.

The Veteran's causes of death were not service-connected, and he did not meet the eligibility requirements for nonservice-connected death pension or accrued benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied. The Board also found insufficient evidence to support service connection for heart disorder, hypertension, eye disorder (glaucoma), and diabetes based on the claimed link to lumbar spondylosis.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is rated at 100% effective September 11, 2017. His eczema is rated as noncompensable since October 25, 2012.,Service connection for acid reflux was denied, and service connection for right hip and knee disorders were also denied.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (claimed as ischemic heart disease), peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure during service.