Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the $69,480.00 check sent to the Veteran in April 2009 was issued in error after his death and needs to be returned. The appellant is seeking accrued benefits for this amount but needs to provide proof of where the funds were routed after they were reclaimed from the bank.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Parkinson's disease, ischemic heart disease, and the cause of the Veteran’s death due to lack of verification regarding herbicide exposure. The appellant is seeking presumptive service connection based on herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including eye and vision issues, hearing loss, knee problems, back pain, leg numbness/weakness, psychiatric conditions, and heart disability. The appeals are pending further development.

The Veteran was denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ASHD, ED, OSA, and MDD. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for Parkinson's disease was also remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's heart disability, as the issue on appeal is not limited to myocardial infraction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including DM2, heart disorder, hypertension, blindness, stroke residuals, and an acquired mental disorder other than PTSD, were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims. The Board found that there is no credible evidence of active service in Vietnam or any other period of war.

The Board denied retroactive benefits for coronary artery disease due to service connection under Nehmer v. Department of Veterans Affairs because the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and was therefore not a Nehmer class member.

Service connection for 10th and 11th rib fractures is granted.,An effective date prior to February 6, 2013, for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease is denied.

The Board denied service connection for numbness and tingling of the hands and feet, as well as a heart disability, both presumed to be due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's symptoms were not found to have started during service or be related to his in-service exposures.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD has been reopened, but the criteria for service connection have not been met. The Veteran is granted a rating of 30 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity effective January 20, 2015.

Service connection is granted for a psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disability (degenerative disc disease), and cardiovascular disorder. Other service connection claims are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for obesity is denied as a matter of law.,His claim for an increased evaluation for left inguinal hernia remains remanded due to the need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's effective date for the grant of service connection for sternotomy scar and graft scars of the bilateral lower extremities associated with coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft is denied prior to October 5, 2011.,The Veteran's effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft is denied prior to September 6, 2011.,The Veteran's effective date for a 100 percent evaluation (based on total temporary rating for hospitalization) for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft is denied prior to October 4, 2011.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to October 4, 2011 for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent from February 1, 2012 for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft is denied.

The claim for service connection of lumbar spine degenerative disc disease is granted on a secondary basis due to the Veteran's service-connected plantar warts. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for non-obstructive coronary artery disease is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to insufficient evidence linking his colon cancer or coronary artery disease to his military service. The claim for burial benefits was not properly addressed in the most recent Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension, as these issues are currently not fully developed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart condition and prostate cancer are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The Board will seek an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not service connected, but his chronic fatigue syndrome is presumed due to a service-connected condition (coronary artery disease).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied in 1980 and reopened but again denied in 1981. The effective date of the grant of service connection is September 16, 1999.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity. Service connection for anxiety was denied.