Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, osteoarthritis of the left knee, and total right knee replacement along with osteoarthritis due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and left knee disability, but granted a 10 percent rating for corneal transplants. The appeal was remanded for additional development regarding the left knee issue.

The Veteran's cause of death is denied as there was no service-connected disability and the evidence does not support a causal relationship between his active duty service and his death.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, heart disease, and bilateral hammer toes due to the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and ischemic heart disease have been granted. The claim of increased rating for granulomatous lung disease is remanded.

The Veteran's heart valve replacement and subsequent coronary artery bypass surgery are rated at a 100% for the period from July 27, 2011 to March 1, 2012. From March 1, 2012, the rating is reduced to 60%. The decision is based on the service connection being established through direct evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from February 25, 2005.,Effective from February 1, 2018, the Veteran is also entitled to SMC based on his service-connected disabilities and his inability to work due to PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for the cause of death, including a lack of a VA opinion on the relationship between any diagnosed psychiatric disability and service. The Board also ordered additional medical opinions to determine if hypertension, atherosclerotic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus were related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional examinations and treatment records. The Board is requesting further evidence to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to missing or unlocated in-service medical records, and for TDIU as it is dependent on the outcome of the service connection claims. The Veteran's heart disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD), respiratory condition, acid reflux, migraines, and hypertension are at issue.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's causes of death to his military service. The Appellant must provide VA medical opinions and obtain SSA records for a proper adjudication.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (depression) and a heart disability as currently diagnosed, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's service-connected mental health disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease is granted, with the effective date set at June 6, 2012. The Board found that the evidence was approximately evenly balanced as to whether the symptoms of the coronary artery disease caused a workload of greater than 5 METs but not greater than 7 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope.

The Veteran's death is attributed to ischemic heart disease, which the Board finds was caused or contributed substantially to his death due to service-connected exposure to herbicides. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and erectile dysfunction have been reopened. The Board has determined that the evidence received since the last final denial is new and material, allowing these claims to be considered again. However, both issues of service connection are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to acute myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed atherosclerosis, which is related to his period of active duty service, meets the criteria for service connection and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding that the conditions did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter and are not otherwise related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for dissection of the right coronary artery caused by a cardiac catheterization performed by VA in January 2006 is denied as there was no fault on VA's part.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination due to allegations of worsening symptoms since the last VA examinations.