Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure during his military service in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy, an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD and major depressive disorder), and a stomach disorder. The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for coronary artery disease was withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and need for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's heart disability is related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and an initial evaluation have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a heart condition. However, due to insufficient evidence linking the current heart condition to service or a service-connected impairment, the case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded four issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including heart disability, asthma, lumbosacral strain, and cervical spine disability. The remand requests additional examinations for cardiac and orthopedic disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and denied DIC based on service connection for the cause of death or under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death due to a lack of evidence linking his heart condition to his military service.,The Board also denied DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 as there was no evidence showing VA treatment proximately caused or aggravated the Veteran’s chronic pulmonary heart disease beyond its natural progression.

The Veteran's back condition is granted a 20 percent evaluation for the period prior to December 16, 2011. The Veteran's higher evaluations are denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a heart condition. The appeal is remanded due to an untimely Notice of Disagreement filed regarding the denial of service connection for hypertension and diabetes.

The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease, a heart condition including atrial fibrillation and hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy as claimed due to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Veteran was not shown to have been exposed to herbicides at the perimeters of any presumptive RTAFBs.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of February 5, 2011 for the grant of service connection and a 60 percent evaluation for ischemic heart disease (IHD). The Veteran also received a finding of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 11, 2011. Additionally, the Board granted special monthly compensation (SMC) at the statutory housebound rate.,The effective dates for TDIU and SMC were set based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected coronary artery disease and posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as his claim for total disability based on individual unemployability, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess the current severity of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence linking any identified causes of death (adult respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis, pneumonia) to the Veteran's military service or his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's prostate cancer was granted a higher 20 percent rating since June 2017. The appeals for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and ischemic heart disease were withdrawn.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is granted. The Board finds the Veteran has current diagnoses of non-obstructive coronary artery disease and valvular heart disease, which are included under the definition of ischemic heart disease. Service connection for these conditions is granted as a result of exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Other claims related to other disabilities are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected malaria, and therefore denied service connection for a heart condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for further development regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart condition, including whether it is related to his service-connected Parkinson's disease or presumed exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's heart disability and his active duty service, including exposure to herbicide agent exposure. The erectile dysfunction claim is also being remanded as it may be related to the heart disability.