Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's conditions to his military service or any exposure thereto.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a left foot condition is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his left shoulder strain with acromioclavicular joint separation is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his second-degree atrioventricular block, Mobitz type 2 (heart condition) prior to November 16, 2017, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent for his second-degree atrioventricular block, Mobitz type 2 (heart condition) since November 16, 2017, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his chest surgical scar, status post pacemaker insertion, is denied.,The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 10 percent for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease are presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for multiple myeloma, heart disability (atrial fibrillation), and dementia. The decision found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for multiple myeloma. Service connection was also not granted for a heart disability or dementia.

The Veteran's heart condition, diabetic retinopathy of the right eye, vision disabilities other than diabetic retinopathy of the right eye, and sleep apnea have been granted service connection. The heart condition is secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for hypertensive heart disease and TDIU are being remanded due to inconsistencies in the medical findings from two VA examinations. The Board will seek clarification on these inconsistent findings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including fatigue, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, headaches, tremors, seizures, and short term memory loss, all of which are claimed as related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The VA is instructed to obtain SSA records and conduct a VA examination to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease and skin cancer due to herbicide agent exposure, as there are conflicting medical opinions and missing records.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but has remanded the issue of service connection for coronary artery disease due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for herniated disc, asthma, emphysema, arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD), diabetes mellitus (DM), sleep apnea, arthritis, Crohn's disease, and renal insufficiency with hypertension (HTN) due to incomplete service records.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 9, 2013 for service connection of coronary artery disease is denied because the condition was severed due to a lack of ischemic heart disease diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in its previous decisions regarding service connection for sleep apnea and related issues. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability. The Board denied the claims for service connection for the cause of death, nonservice-connected pension benefits, and accrued benefits.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a heart disability due to inadequate prior VA examinations and the need for an addendum opinion estimating METs performance ability considering only the service-connected heart disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board finds that additional development is needed to determine if his low back disability, bronchitis, vasovagal syncope, heart condition and high blood pressure are related to service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a nexus between the condition and service. The claim for service connection for coronary artery disease due to Agent Orange exposure is remanded as there is insufficient information about the Veteran's service in Korea.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to bilateral hearing loss is granted. The VA has decided to remand the issue of increasing his rating for coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is rated at 60 percent since June 1, 2016. The Board granted a rating of 60 percent for the condition and denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's asthma, heart disability (including coronary artery disease), and hypertension are denied as service connection because the evidence does not show that these conditions began during or were aggravated by his military service.