Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has decided that a VA examination and opinion are needed to determine if the Veteran's heart condition is related to service, including herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims. The Board also found that there is no link between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's PTSD claim has been granted with a 50% rating. The Board finds the evidence insufficient for an increased rating and remands his claims for back condition and heart disability.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if hypertension is related to service-connected PTSD, and to assess the current severity of PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease is caused by herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's Ischemic Heart Disease is rated at 30 percent since August 31, 2010. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating or an earlier effective date for service connection. TDIU is granted from July 9, 2012.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates have been denied. The initial compensable rating for ingrown toenail, right great toe is denied. The heart disability claim has not met the criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating. Erectile dysfunction does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. Effective dates prior to May 23, 2011 are not granted for service connection of hypertension, allergic conjunctivitis, erectile dysfunction, ingrown toenail right great toe, and heart disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death and his lung fissure at separation.

The Board has remanded the claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including major depressive disorder, due to potential issues with the validity of previous diagnoses and the need for clarification on whether the Veteran's symptoms are related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease has been rated at 30 percent since May 1999. The VA is remanded to consider if the Veteran should be assigned a higher rating due to worsening symptoms and heart attack in 2016.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and secondary service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records. The heart disorder claim is related to his hypertension, while joint pain may be related to undiagnosed illness or environmental exposures during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus, Type II due to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's service in Thailand. The conditions are presumed based on military service.

The Board denied service connection for heart condition, skin cancer, bladder tumors, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of upper extremities, and bilateral peripheral neuropathy of lower extremities due to lack of exposure to herbicide agents during the specified time period in Korea.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease and arrhythmias were rated at 60 percent disabling from November 2, 2006 through July 22, 2007. The claim for a higher initial rating is denied.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and his claims for increased disability ratings were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and coronary artery disease as secondary to hypertension due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, which is a form of coronary artery disease, due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's heart condition, vision loss, back conditions, lower extremity radiculopathy, cervical spinal stenosis, right hip condition, kidney failure, arthritis, fibromyalgia, shoulder pain, varicose veins, carpal tunnel syndrome, and restless leg syndrome are all related to service exposure to hazardous chemicals. The Veteran must be provided with a VA examination for each issue.,The Veteran's major depressive disorder, patellofemoral pain syndrome of the left knee, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, and mild recurrent major depressive disorder, with moderate generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder are all related to service exposure to hazardous chemicals. The Veteran must be provided with a VA examination for each issue.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds no evidence to warrant a higher rating based on current symptoms.

The Board denied service connection for Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease, Cardiomyopathy, Paroxysmal Ventricular Tachycardia, and Paroxysmal Supraventricular Tachycardia as the evidence did not establish a nexus to service.