Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied additional attorney fees based on past-due benefits granted in a June 2016 rating decision, as the Veteran had already been paid these benefits in an October 2014 rating decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for additional retroactive payments based on a grant of a permanent 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease from November 11, 2013. The Veteran had already received the full amount withheld due to concurrent receipt of retired pay and VA compensation benefits.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for ischemic heart disease has been denied.,Service connection for atrial fibrillation secondary to service-connected ischemic heart disease has been granted.,The Veteran's claims for non-degenerative arthritis and fibromyalgia, both related to herbicide exposure, have been remanded for further review.,Further medical opinions are needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's non-degenerative arthritis and fibromyalgia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral foot disability and coronary artery disease due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology. The Veteran is entitled to a VA examination to determine if his current disabilities are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and PTSD. The decision also noted that new evidence did not address the critical defect of a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's sleep apnea disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for CAD prior to January 5, 2000 is denied.,For the period prior to January 5, 2000, the Veteran's CAD symptoms do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, ischemic heart condition, bilateral lung condition (secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II), and bilateral kidney condition (secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. Service connection for hyperlipidemia, neurogenic bladder, and hypertension are denied. The Veteran's heart condition (angina) and hypertension are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye disorder, increased ratings for DM, chronic kidney disease, and CAD were denied. The appeals are based on the Veteran's subjective complaints of increased symptoms but the medical evidence does not support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease, have rendered him unemployable. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined effect of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation in any of these cases.

The Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation greater than 10 percent for coronary artery disease and service connection for depression/anxiety (claimed as secondary to service connected conditions) are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertensive heart disease, and hypertension were denied. Bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service. The Veteran's hypertensive heart disease did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent or a 10 percent rating. His hypertension met the criteria for a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and prostate cancer have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and the diseases are not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's active service at Korat Air Force Base in Thailand.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and small bowel obstruction, claimed as mesenteric ischemia due to an undiagnosed illness (Gulf War Syndrome) are both denied.

The Board denied service connection for COPD and coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

Service connection is denied for tinnitus, heart condition (including ischemic heart disease and WPW syndrome), peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, and neck condition.,The Veteran's service treatment records are negative for evidence of a heart or neck condition. There was no objective medical evidence of peripheral neuropathy within one year after separation from service.

The Veteran's cause of death was not due to his service-connected disabilities, and there is no evidence indicating these conditions should be service connected.