Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for deviated septum, left concha bullosa as secondary to deviated septum, right nasal polyps as secondary to deviated septum, and sleep apnea as secondary to deviated septum. Service connection for hypertension and heart disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and the need to verify his reported service in Vietnam. The specific conditions at issue are ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure in Thailand and thus no presumptive service connection is warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PFB warrants a 10 percent rating, but not higher. The appeal for service connection of HTN and its secondary effects on kidney disease, CAD, and stroke is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. TDIU remains inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a heart disorder, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, but the Board has decided to remand for further evaluation of potential service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the potential worsening of his condition since the last VA examination, which was more than six years ago.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for a heart condition, an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder with depressed mood), and left shoulder disability. The appeals are remanded for additional development including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to a substantial gap in treatment records, specifically missing records from 2011 to December 5, 2015. The appellant is asked to provide authorization for these records or complete a VA Form 21-4142.

The Veteran's service aboard the USS Robert L. Wilson (DD 847) qualifies him for the presumption of Agent Orange exposure, and his diagnosis of coronary artery disease meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew all his pending appeals, including those for PTSD with unspecified depressive disorder and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently rated at 10 percent disabling. The Board denied a higher rating as the evidence does not show that his coronary artery disease caused his low METs and ejection fraction levels.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to incomplete medical opinions and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's GERD, heart disability, and substance use disorder are all being reviewed for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus and coronary artery disease have been granted service connection. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied due to lack of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology. The skin disorder claim remains pending as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on its etiology. Service connection for hypertension is also pending, with the issue being whether it is related to herbicide exposure. Low back and knee disorders are still under consideration.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to inextricably intertwined issues.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including Social Security Administration (SSA) records, private treatment records, employment records, and an examination of his service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's petition to reopen the claim for service connection for skin cancer was granted. Service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) is also granted.,Service connection for lung cancer is denied, as there is no current diagnosis of lung cancer in the record.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and effective dates related to his service-connected coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and scars was denied. The Veteran's heart condition is currently rated at 60 percent disabling.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II is presumed to be the result of his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam. The Board granted service connection for this condition. Other issues related to ischemic heart disease and peripheral neuropathy are remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including review of additional evidence received since the July 2015 statement of the case.