Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Veteran's death was due to congestive heart failure, which is presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. The Board has determined that the claim for service-connected burial benefits should be remanded for further evaluation of whether ischemic heart disease qualifies under VA criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for an increased level of SMC based on need for higher level of aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, degenerative arthritis of the lumbosacral spine, coronary artery disease, radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. As a result, TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his claim for a higher rating for tinnitus, service connection for right foot gout, left shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder are all denied.,Service connection for right foot gout is denied because the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right foot gout.,Service connection for a left shoulder disorder is denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during active service or is related to an in-service disease or injury.,Service connection for a right elbow disorder, right foot disorder, and left foot disorder are all denied due to lack of current diagnoses and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board denied his claim for TDIU.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his military service and the heart disorder or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that caused his death.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus have been granted. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for the issuance of a Statement of the Case regarding increased disability ratings for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings have been denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of asthma, sinusitis, or allergic rhinitis related to service exposure. Service connection was granted for valvular heart disease with a staged rating from January 16, 2017. Increased ratings were denied for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, hypertension, and back disability.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA, hypertension, cardiomyopathy and hypertensive heart disease with congestive heart failure, aortic aneurysm, and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression and generalized anxiety disorder) due to the Veteran's in-service conditions.,Service connection is also granted for these conditions on a secondary basis to his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for pulmonary vascular disease, arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease), erectile dysfunction, and a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for bronchitis due to outstanding VA treatment records and the need for further medical examinations.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including shoulder, elbow, neck, hip, left knee, right knee, left ankle, arm, leg, hand, sinusitis, heart, hypertension, stomach, cancer, foot, diabetes mellitus, brain injury, and seizure disability. The decision was based on the lack of competent evidence supporting these claims.,The Board also remanded service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, respiratory disability, headache, earlier effective date for right ankle disability, and service connection for a disability of the hips.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease is granted, but the issue of exposure to herbicide agents in service remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and requests for additional information. The appellant is asked to provide details about her husband's heart disease and any in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease associated with herbicide exposure and for cause of death, finding that timely notices of disagreement were not filed within the required timeframes.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for ischemic heart disease was denied from August 31, 2010 to October 22, 2013 and from January 1, 2014 to April 19, 2015. Since April 20, 2015, a higher rating for heart disease was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for further evaluation, including a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his heart disorders.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and the Board is remanding for further action on his cause of death claim.

The appeal of the evaluation of service-connected coronary artery disease is dismissed. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.