Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected peripheral neuropathy and whether he suffers from loss of use in either hand or foot. The Veteran will need a new VA examination for these issues.

The petition to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension, a vascular disorder, and a chronic organic condition due to high cholesterol is denied.,The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for an eye disorder is granted. The Veteran's cognitive disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder are not found to be related to his service-connected disabilities.,The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for psoriatic arthritis is denied. The preponderance of evidence does not support a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, ischemic heart disease, tinnitus, neuropathy of the right radial nerve, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has determined that a TDIU is warranted based on his physical and psychological impairments.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritic disability, ischemic heart disease, and squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas of the face, arms and hands. The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Board is remanding the issues of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as the increased ratings for left knee instability, left knee osteoarthritis, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and PTSD. The Veteran's Social Security Administration records and VA treatment records are also needed.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, including medications taken for that disability (including Sertraline, Risperidone, Zolpidem, Lorazepam, and Haloperidol), caused or aggravated his CAD. The Board also requested verification of Dr. T.J.D.'s medical specialty.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for his coronary artery disease disability is dismissed as moot because he has been granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) based on the same service-connected condition.

Service connection is granted for prostate cancer and coronary artery disease, both presumed to be related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection is remanded for CML due to lack of evidence supporting presumptive service connection.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability, lung disability (originally claimed as black spots on the lungs), cardiovascular disability (coronary artery disease) to include as secondary to Agent Orange exposure, and diabetes mellitus, type 2. The reasons given were that there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure during service or a link between any diagnosed conditions and service.

The Board dismissed the claims for nonservice-connected death pension benefits and accrued benefits. The claim for dependency and indemnity compensation on the basis of the Veteran's cause of death is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for secondary service connection for his stroke due to coronary artery disease is being remanded. The Board also needs to readjudicate the Veteran's special monthly compensation (SMC) claim.

The Veteran's death was caused by ischemic heart disease, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure. The Appellant did not file a claim for DIC benefits within one year of the Veteran's death and remained married until August 2012, preventing her from receiving benefits as the surviving spouse. Therefore, an earlier effective date is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities combine to prevent him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment, resulting in a TDIU for the relevant periods.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to lack of permanent and total disability affecting locomotion.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his left trapezius muscle disability (myofascial pain syndrome) was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for various musculoskeletal disabilities, including lumbar spine, right hip, left elbow, right elbow, left wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome), and right wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome) were remanded due to incomplete records. The VA duty to assist was triggered by the addition of relevant service treatment records.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is granted service connection, while his chloracne and skin cancer claims are denied.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to acute myocardial infarction and severe coronary artery disease, which were not related to his service-connected aortic stenosis. The Board found that the Veteran's service connected condition did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease as a result of herbicide agent exposure, and also granted service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus. The appeal was remanded for other issues.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his reported exposure to chemicals during active duty, including herbicides. The appeals are pending and will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating and TDIU was denied. The heart disability is currently rated at 60 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a 100 percent rating due to lack of symptoms or LVEF below 30%. The Veteran also lacks sufficient additional disabilities to bring his combined rating to 70%.