Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Veteran's heart disorder, respiratory disorder, and sleep disorder are being remanded for further evaluation as they may be related to his service in Southwest Asia.

The Veteran's appeal for the initial rating assigned for his coronary artery disease has been dismissed because the appellant requested to withdraw the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to an error in how it handled the service connection claim, and will need to verify the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents during his service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's heart disability, hypertension, and gunshot wound residuals are related to his service in Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's in-country service in Vietnam and presumed exposure to herbicide agents (Agent Orange) supports this claim.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and CAD have been granted service connection as due to herbicide exposure. The claims for gout, acquired psychiatric disability (including bipolar disorder), pulmonary condition, residuals of breast cancer, and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted service connection. The initial evaluation for his coronary artery disease prior to June 27, 2019 was denied, but he received a rating of 60 percent or higher from that date onwards.

The Veteran's cause of death, cardiopulmonary arrest due to arteriosclerotic heart disease and end-stage renal disease, is not service-connected as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder other than rheumatic valvular disease and hypertension, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for difficulty sleeping has been denied as there is no current diagnosis of a sleep disorder.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disorder to include as due to exposure to Agent Orange (Agent Orange exposure) has been remanded. The Veteran does not have a diagnosed heart condition and the evidence does not support an association with his service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and the role of service-connected conditions in causing or contributing to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for asthma, entitlement to a temporary total rating for convalescence following cardiac surgery in December 2011, and entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities combine to result in physical or mental impairment that render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, necessitating a remand for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected conditions or due to other causes. The issues include determining whether ischemic heart disease, COPD, hepatocellular carcinoma, hypertension, and acute renal failure are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, but stayed some of his appeals due to a new law. The appeal for PTSD was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew it.

The Veteran's cause of death was congestive heart failure. The Board finds that the Appellant’s accrued benefits claim is inextricably intertwined with the claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death and thus, a remand is required to adjudicate both claims.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of coronary artery disease and service connection for sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected heart condition are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's CAD is granted as secondary to the radiation therapy used for his service-connected lung cancer. The Board also found that he was unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities from January 19, 2016 to November 1, 2018.

The Veteran's cardiac disorder is being remanded for further development to determine if he was exposed to herbicides during his service in Panama. The Board will review the information provided by the Veteran and any additional details from military records.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board found that there is no direct evidence linking his multiple myeloma to his military service.