Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for lung, heart, neuropathology of the feet, and neuropathology of the neck conditions. The decision is based on a lack of current diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's cause of death, ischemic heart disease, is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure sustained in service at Udorn RTAFB. The Board granted the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now pending. The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to support the reopening of his claims for PTSD and sleep apnea, but not for sarcoidosis, IHD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, DDD of the lumbar spine, or PTSD.

The Board has remanded several claims, including service connection for ischemic heart disease, residuals of a stroke, lung cancer, and esophageal cancer. The DIC claim is also remanded due to the appellant's interest in her husband’s Vietnam exposure.

The Veteran is granted higher levels of SMC based on anatomical loss of both feet, need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities other than bilateral knee amputation, and additional disabilities rated at 50 percent or more. The highest level of SMC awarded is SMC-N.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and diabetes mellitus type II (DMII) based on exposure to herbicide agents. The appeals were not granted as there was no in-service diagnosis or evidence of a nexus between the conditions and military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and referral of the TDIU claim for consideration under 38 C.F.R. §4.16(b).

The Board has decided to remand the case due to new evidence submitted after the initial decision and a need for a VA examination regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart conditions, particularly atrial fibrillation. The examiner is asked to consider whether these conditions are related to herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and IHD, as well as the propriety of the reduction in their ratings from 70% to 50% for PTSD and from 60% to 10% for IHD, are being remanded due to new examinations being required. The Veteran also has a claim for TDIU which is now considered inextricably intertwined with his increased rating claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease, finding that no formal or informal claim was filed before October 2, 2009.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently rated at a 30 percent since July 24, 2017. The VA has granted an initial rating of 30 percent for the entire appeal period.

The Board denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to April 1, 2016.,From April 1, 2016 onwards, the appellant's combined evaluation did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU. The psychiatric disorder was rated as 50 percent disabling, and other service-connected conditions were rated at various levels.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for loss of sense of smell, taste, sleep disorder, heart disorder, salivary gland disorder, gallbladder removal residuals, urinary tract infections, and skin condition due to exposure to ionizing radiation. Additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for various disabilities and reopening of previously denied claims. The main reasons are that new medical records need to be obtained and a VA examination is required.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease is granted, with the condition being presumed due to herbicide exposure during his time at Udorn Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Board denied the claim for service connection of ischemic heart disease as there is no evidence of ischemia in the Veteran's medical records, and instead hypertension, diabetes, and coronary artery calcifications contributed to his heart disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder. The examiner is requested to review all pertinent records and provide an updated opinion on whether any diagnosed disorders are related to active service.

The Veteran withdrew his service connection claims for lumbar spine disorder, lower extremity disorder, heart disorder, headache disorder, and hemorrhoids before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected coronary artery disease, which prevents him from working as a logger.