Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a need for an addendum opinion on coronary artery disease. The claims are not granted at this time.

Service connection for ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) is granted due to herbicide exposure. Service connection for congestive heart failure as secondary to service-connected disease or injury is remanded.

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD), transient ischemia attack (TIA), stroke, headaches, or PTSD. The claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of ischemic heart disease and a higher rating, finding that neither claim was warranted based on the evidence provided.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for malaria was denied, and the Board found that he is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals concerning PTSD, a mental illness other than PTSD, headaches, postoperative cyst removal residuals, erectile dysfunction, and coronary artery disease have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic coronary artery disease, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam and his subsequent diagnosis of ischemic coronary artery disease meet the criteria.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's death, which is related to his cardiovascular disabilities and exposure to engine fumes during service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and evaluations related to his hearing loss, sleep apnea, heart disease, prostate cancer, stroke, and psychiatric disorders. The effective date of service connection remains unresolved.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and cardiovascular disability (claimed as ischemic heart disease) have been granted service connection.,However, further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's cardiovascular disability is related to his exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent disability rating for his service-connected heart condition (paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia with atrial fibrillation) prior to May 24, 2012 is denied. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's heart disease and bilateral knee arthritis are denied as service connection is not established. The Board found no evidence of onset in service or a relationship to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations and opinions related to heart condition and rib condition are inadequate, and thus remanded for further action.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran’s claimed conditions, including sleep apnea, heart disability, hypertension, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and Parkinson's disease, all of which were presumed to be due to Agent Orange exposure. The Board found that there was no credible evidence supporting the Veteran's claims of in-service exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease and PTSD.

The Board restored a 60 percent evaluation for the Veteran's ischemic heart disease from April 1, 2016 to February 9, 2018. The Veteran also received a grant of TDIU for the period prior to February 10, 2018.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and CAD, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or asbestos exposure. Service connection was granted for a peripheral vestibular disorder associated with his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, claimed as a heart condition, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure in service. The Veteran's PTSD is also being remanded due to the lack of recent VA examination records.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to verify the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and to obtain updated VA treatment records. The issues of service connection for ischemic heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and residuals of a stroke are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease with coronary artery bypass, migraine headaches, hernia, and tinnitus, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since August 8, 2011.