Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's valvular heart disease is found to have its onset during service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has granted an effective date of June 11, 1985 for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease post-myocardial infarction. The Veteran's claim was pending before VA on May 3, 1989 and thus falls under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.816(c)(2).

The Veteran's liver cancer, which was presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, is service connected. The cause of death due to liver cancer is also service connected. Service connection for other conditions such as kidney disability, erectile dysfunction (ED), peripheral neuropathy, heart disability, lung disability, psychiatric disability, low back disorder, right hip disorder, and left hip disorder are not established.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and depression are found to have caused his erectile dysfunction, with the Board granting service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder and left fifth rib removal due to lack of new and material evidence. The Veteran's claims were based on the presumption that these conditions preexisted service.

The Veteran's heart condition, characterized by a workload between 5 and 7 METs with resulting fatigue and chest pain, was found to meet the criteria for a 30 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7005.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, and type II diabetes mellitus as these conditions are not presumed to be related to herbicide exposure due to a lack of evidence corroborating in-service event/injury. The diseases did not manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's hypertension and ischemic heart disease were not shown to be incurred or aggravated during his military service, including due to herbicide exposure. The Board found no evidence of Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to in-service exposure to loud noise. The claims for heart disease, diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, and carpal tunnel syndrome are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to allow for additional development of his claims, including VA examinations and the acquisition of relevant medical records.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, Type 2 are being remanded due to the need for further verification regarding his exposure to herbicide while in Korea.

The Veteran has been rendered unable to secure substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities from May 4, 2011. The criteria for an award of TDIU have been met from that date.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected residuals of pelvic fracture and separation of symphysis pubis with low back pain has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show improvement in the disability under ordinary conditions of life and work, and thus no increase in disability was warranted.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted for the period from February 1, 2001 to October 20, 2006.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease was not manifested by more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure in a year, a workload of greater than three metabolic equivalents (METs) but not greater than five METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent prior to September 19, 2016. As such, the Veteran's claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including rectal disability, fatigue disorder, bleeding gums, hypertension, bilateral shoulder disorder, colonic polyps, ulcer, Lyme disease, diabetes mellitus, and a heart condition. The appeals are based on undiagnosed illness due to service in the Persian Gulf.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a left eye disorder, bilateral ankle and hip disorders, sleep disorder, appendix disorder, right shoulder disorder, heart disorder, and finger disorder. The Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease with stents was granted, but the effective date remains unchanged. The current rating of 60% is maintained from January 19, 2016.

The Veteran's heart disorder, including coronary artery disease, is being remanded for further development as there are conflicting opinions regarding its etiology and the presence of a service connection issue.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease as due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and verifying herbicide exposure.