Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder and heart condition prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, leading to a grant of TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension, secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions, has been reopened and remanded.,The Veteran's claim for seizure disorder remains denied as new and material evidence was not received.,Left ear hearing loss is rated at 0 percent effective May 20, 2014. The issue of an earlier effective date is remanded.,Diabetes mellitus is currently rated at 20 percent and the Veteran's request for a higher rating remains denied.,PTSD, depressive disorder, sleep disorder, coronary artery disease, hypertension (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, diabetes mellitus, or medications taken for those conditions), acid reflux (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus), and erectile dysfunction (secondary to PTSD, depressive disorder, or diabetes mellitus) are all remanded.,The Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for left ear hearing loss is also remanded.

The Veteran's right femur fracture residuals are not related to active service or any incident of service, including as due to his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity.,The Veteran’s coronary artery disease is manifested by a left ventricular ejection fraction of 65 percent and does not warrant a disability rating greater than 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for coronary artery disease was dismissed due to his death.

The Board dismissed all previously appealed claims due to the Veteran's request to withdraw his appeal.

Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is granted, and a rating of 60 percent for dyshidrotic eczema is granted effective from the date of the decision. Other service connection claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart condition, bilateral hearing loss, and prostate condition due to insufficient evidence. The heart condition is denied as not related to active military service.

The Board has determined that a medical opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis contributed to his death. The cause of death was listed as cardiac arrest, chronic systolic heart failure, and coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the claims of TDIU, service connection for headaches, convulsions, and heart disability due to incomplete development. The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder with dysthymic disorder is also being considered as it may impact her TDIU claim.

The Veteran's cause of death, cardiac arrest due to ischemic heart disease, is presumed service-connected due to exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service. However, there are no pending claims for accrued benefits as the Veteran did not have any at the time of his death.

The Board has dismissed all claims due to the death of the Veteran's widow, as her appeal is no longer in a jurisdictional state.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was granted with an effective date of February 12, 2008. The decision is based on the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and CAD.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for service connection of ischemic heart disease due to exposure to herbicide agents, as there is a conflict in medical evidence regarding whether the Veteran has or had coronary artery disease.

The Board has decided that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's ischemic heart disease is related to his military service.

The Veteran's PTSD and coronary artery disease claims are being remanded for further evaluation. The TDIU claim is also included as part of the increased rating claim.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for hypertension and a heart disability, as the medical opinions provided were inadequate.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, coronary artery disease, and neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that his combined disability rating meets the threshold for TDIU.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, as his current level of impairment does not warrant a higher evaluation.,His IHD claim was also denied, as the evidence did not show it met the criteria for an increased rating beyond 10 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus type 2 is found to be the primary cause of his COPD, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease of both lower extremities, and hypertension. The initial rating for diabetes mellitus type 2 has been granted at 20 percent.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there is no evidence linking ischemic heart disease to his active military service.