Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for right leg disability, bilateral eye disability, and heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that there is insufficient evidence to place the evidence in equipoise as to whether he suffers from this condition related to his military service. The Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service but does not have a current diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's appeal for high cholesterol has been withdrawn and dismissed.,The claim for an earlier effective date for CAD is denied as the earliest available effective date is October 4, 2011.,Celiac disease was not related to service.,Uncontrollable shaking of the head (benign essential tremors) was not related to service.,Peripheral neuropathy and allergic dermatitis were not related to service or presumed herbicide exposure.,Service connection for allergic dermatitis is denied as there is no evidence of a malignant tumor of the skin.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer and an increased rating for ischemic heart disease. The claim for bladder cancer is reopened, but the issues of service connection are still pending as they have not been decided yet. The issue of an increased rating for ischemic heart disease remains under review.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agent during his active duty service in Thailand.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertensive heart disease as secondary to service-connected hypertension was denied. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to a higher initial rating for the same condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but dismissed the claims for bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer, low back disability, skin disability, left ear abnormal growth, heart disability, and stroke.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition, including depression, is service-connected due to its aggravation by his pre-existing conditions.,Service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, are granted as they were aggravated by the Veteran's pre-existing psychiatric conditions.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus and heart disability are remanded for additional development, including obtaining his service treatment records and Reserve medical records. A VA examiner will be asked to determine if these conditions are related to in-service high cholesterol or any exposure to herbicide agents, chemical toxins, or ionizing radiation.

The Board denied service connection for left eye glaucoma, hypertension, and coronary artery disease (CAD) as the evidence did not show that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed for all issues related to tinnitus, hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, PTSD, and IHD.

The Veteran's claims of ischemic heart disease and hypertension, both claimed as due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, are stayed pending the effective date of the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.,Right eye vision loss due to a residual scar from a foreign body is granted. Right eye vision loss due to glaucoma (as 95 percent of total vision loss) and right hand DJD are denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hyperlipidemia has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the issues of an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to April 27, 2012, and from July 1, 2012, as well as entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's heart condition, specifically coronary artery disease and left ventricular hypertrophy. The Veteran needs a medical examination to determine if his current heart condition is related to his active duty service or his service-connected diabetes.

The Veteran's death prevented a TDIU for accrued benefits purposes as his unemployment was due to non-service-connected conditions, not his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, sleep apnea, hypertension, and hypertensive heart disease have been granted. The issues of service connection for these conditions are resolved in the Veteran's favor.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for erectile dysfunction, which is related to PTSD or hypertension.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee degenerative joint disease. The other issues of service connection for cardiovascular disease and residuals of a heatstroke, as well as TDIU, are remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal as he did not file a timely substantive appeal for his service connection claims.