Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied the appellant's claims for nonservice-connected death pension and special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person, or by reason of being housebound due to insufficient evidence showing she is in need of such benefits.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of torn muscles, left and right biceps, heart disorder, gastroesophageal reflux disorder (GERD), left shoulder impingement syndrome, and headaches as a residual of a concussion have been dismissed. The remaining issues of service connection for cervical spine condition, right knee condition, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and psychiatric disorder are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including atrial fibrillation and coronary artery disease, secondary to herbicide exposure in Panama, is being remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding his claimed exposure.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his service at the Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand.

Service connection is granted for right shoulder disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, and right knee disability.,Service connection is granted for sleep apnea. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether it was caused by service.,Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's representative provided a private opinion stating that his current condition may or may not be related to service, which is considered speculative and thus remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's 30 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) has been restored, and his PTSD has been granted a 70 percent disability rating. The TDIU claim was also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection of coronary artery disease, finding that the earliest date of entitlement was September 24, 2002.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, due to herbicide exposure during TDY in Vietnam, should be remanded. The VA will attempt to verify the Veteran’s claims and schedule him for a VA examination if presumptive service connection is not established.

The Veteran's cause of death was cardiorespiratory failure due to congestive heart failure and atherosclerotic heart disease, which were not service-connected. The Board denied the claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 as well.

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, ischemic heart disease, kidney cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, radiculopathy of both hands and lower extremities, an acquired psychiatric disorder, and tinnitus. The new evidence submitted since the June 2018 SOC will be considered.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's hypertension and ischemic heart disease are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and hearing loss have been remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of relevant medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and an acquired psychiatric disability as the evidence did not support a direct relationship to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disease and other disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's Ischemic Heart Disease is currently rated at 10 percent, but the Board found that there was not enough evidence to warrant a higher rating based on the workload and symptoms reported.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney failure with loss of use of the right kidney, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure or in-service injury that could support a grant of service connection. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease and adenocarcinoma of the prostate, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and active military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient information regarding in-service herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claim is pending and will be reconsidered after additional development.