Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and associated scar have made it impossible for him to obtain or maintain employment, leading to a TDIU determination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not have service in Vietnam, and thus is not entitled to presumptive service connection for any of his claimed conditions based on herbicide exposure. The claims are being remanded as there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of service connection.

The Board has found that there was not substantial compliance with previous remand directives regarding the likelihood of herbicide exposure in Thailand. The claims for service connection for a heart disability and diabetes mellitus are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, concluding that there is no objective evidence showing ischemic heart disease contributed to his death and that esophageal cancer was the immediate cause.

The Board has remanded the claims for accrued benefits, service connection for cause of death, and death pension due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The appeal on the issue of entitlement to a rating in excess of 60 percent for CAD has been withdrawn and is dismissed. The appeals for hypertension and bilateral inguinal hernia repair are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for CMT and secondary service connection for a back disability to include as secondary to CMT are granted. The claims for left ankle, right ankle, left foot, and right foot disabilities to include as secondary to CMT, and service connection for IHD and HTN to include as secondary to CMT are remanded.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease prior to May 23, 2017 is now pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination and opinion regarding whether hypertension is secondary to service-connected disabilities, specifically ischemic heart disease, PTSD, diabetes, hearing loss and tinnitus, or chronic migraine headaches.

The Board denied service connection for right knee, sinus, heart, and hypertension disorders as there was no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities, and residuals of a right foot injury. The issues regarding initial evaluations for DJD/OA of the left knee and DDD of the spine are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, but denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including for a recurrent low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, heart disorders, hypertension, and hypothyroidism. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange during service and now has ischemic heart disease, which is considered a presumptively service-connected condition due to exposure to herbicides. Therefore, the claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension with heart disease was denied in April 1996 due to lack of evidence showing an onset in service. The Board found that the Veteran did have ischemic heart disease, a covered herbicide disease, and granted accrued benefits based on this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure. The VA needs to verify if the Veteran was exposed to Agent Orange in Thailand based on his claimed living quarters.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and PTSD have prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or within one year after discharge.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart disabilities, including myocardial infarction with coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure, effective from June 29, 2009. The decision is based on the earliest date of medical evidence showing these conditions.