Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has granted the appellant's request to reopen her claim for service connection for cause of death, finding new and material evidence. The case is now remanded for further development including a medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during service, and therefore cannot establish presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus or ischemic heart disease. The claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of any disability relating to his claim for blood clots in his right shoulder or upper extremity, and his heart disorder is not etiologically related to service. The Board also found no evidence supporting secondary service connection due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease, was not present during his active service and is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any current heart disability is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart disability, skin condition, and sleep disorder. The claims are being remanded to allow for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure during the Vietnam War.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on all issues have been denied. The Board finds no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of any claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory disorder were denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board found that the current diagnoses are not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's heart disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence linking the condition to his active duty service.,For the period prior to February 15, 2011, the Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease (now characterized as ischemic heart disease) was granted at a 30% level.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease has been rated at 60 percent since November 22, 2010. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease was reduced from 60% to 10%, effective June 1, 2012. The reduction is upheld as supported by improvement in the disability.

The Veteran seeks service connection for ischemic heart disease as a result of exposure to herbicides. The Board has determined that the missing VAMC records may have evidence relevant to his claim and therefore, requests for these records are made.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to verify her periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA), schedule a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of her heat injury, migraine, heart disability, and low back disabilities, and readjudicate the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted. The claims for insomnia, high fever, gonorrhea, residuals of gunshot wound to the left knee, right elbow disorder, and residuals of injury to the left side of the neck are denied.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease was reduced from 60 percent to 30 percent effective March 1, 2015. The Board found the reduction improper and restored the original 60 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's right flank disability was found to be incurred during active service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, claimed as a result of exposure to Agent Orange during service, is being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining SSA records and VA/privately held medical records. A VA examination will be conducted to determine if his current heart condition is related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral shoulder and knee conditions, oral surgery residuals, temporal arteritis, back disability, prostate cancer, colon cancer, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, left eye disability, and right eye disability have all been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of his heart disabilities. The examiner will need to identify each heart disability he currently has or had during the appeal period and determine if it fits within the definition of ischemic heart disease. They must also assess whether it is at least as likely as not related to service, including exposure to herbicide agents.