Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2018

The Board has denied service connection for heart disability and hypertension, but has remanded the issue of service connection for low back disability due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal for SMC at the (s) rate is denied as he did not have a single service-connected disability rated as total during the period from January 14, 2003 to February 9, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's post-myocardial infarction coronary artery disease is rated at a 60 percent rating effective May 13, 2015. The Board found that the ejection fraction of 43% on the earliest testing after his claim was filed met the criteria for a 60 percent rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for service connection due to coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus. The conditions are rated based on their severity, with coronary artery disease currently at a 60% rating and diabetes mellitus at a 10% rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition, claimed as secondary to the use of Vioxx to treat his service-connected bilateral chondromalacia patella. The decision is based on the opinion that the Veteran's Vioxx use likely aggravated his underlying coronary artery disease.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that no earlier claim was submitted and that the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim prior to June 29, 2009.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's heart condition, missing private treatment records, and discrepancies in the severity of his PTSD symptoms. The appeals are now pending further development.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and knee disabilities are remanded due to insufficient evidence. Additional VA examinations will be conducted to assess the current severity of his conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that TDIU benefits are warranted.

The Board denied service connection for reflex sympathetic dystrophy, low back condition, and coronary artery disease. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a direct relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, type II diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, malaria, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicide agents in Thailand.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft surgery is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his time in Vietnam.

The Veteran's heart disease is currently rated at 60 percent since January 23, 2015. The Board found that the Veteran’s service-connected heart disease warrants an initial rating of 60 percent for the period from April 30, 2004 through June 5, 2011 and from June 6, 2011 through January 22, 2015.

The Veteran's hemorrhoids and pseudofolliculitis barbae have not been found to meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection for a heart disorder, peripheral vascular disease, and an above the knee amputation of the right leg are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for valvular heart disease because the new evidence did not establish that his pre-existing condition was aggravated by active service.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, coronary artery disease as secondary to hypertension, and a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis. The Veteran's hypertension was not shown within the presumptive period or by continuity of symptomatology. His coronary artery disease is not proximately due to his service-connected disability. His allergic rhinitis did not meet the criteria for a 10% rating under Diagnostic Code 6522.

The Veteran's service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder, and he is granted service connection for this condition. However, there is no evidence of a current heart disorder, so the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder is denied.

The Board has granted the reopening of the Veteran's claims for service connection for lumbar spine disability, heart disability, hypertension, and forehead scar. The cases are remanded to schedule VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to service.