Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease is rated at 10 percent, the minimum rating available under VA guidelines. The Board found that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating based on current medical evidence and criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease and for consideration of TDIU.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not rendered him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, a lumbar spine disability, and a higher rating for acne vulgaris due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, a right shoulder disorder, a chronic kidney disorder, and a back disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has expanded the Veteran's claim to include service connection for a heart condition and finds remand is necessary for additional development before an informed decision can be made.

The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction, and coronary artery disease have all been granted service connection. The Veteran also received an increased rating for his depressive disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left lower extremity disabilities, heart disease including ischemic heart disease, an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, and hypertension as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after active duty. The diagnoses were not related to military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and low back disability have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. However, these issues are still pending as they need further development.,Additional medical examinations will be scheduled to assess the current severity of the Veteran’s right shoulder bursitis and degenerative joint disease, right retropatellar knee pain syndrome, cold injury residuals in the lower extremities, heart disability, and low back disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, abdominal aortic aneurysm, and scar below the neck line on the left side due to ischemic heart disease. The Veteran needs to be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his hypertension.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence linking his current conditions to his military service. The Board found that the Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that the reduction from a 60 percent rating to a 10 percent rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease and carotid stenosis was proper, as there is no evidence of actual improvement in disability. The Veteran's current level of disability does not reflect cardiovascular impairment.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder, including whether it is related to service or any service-connected conditions.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for reopening service connection claims and effective date issues, but has remanded his claim seeking a noninitial disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected headaches, vascular type.

The Board dismissed all appeals due to the Veteran's death. No service connection decisions were made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease is proximately due to his service-connected hypertension, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease were not incurred in or due to his time in service. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease and for an effective date earlier than December 5, 2016, for total disability rating based on unemployability (TDIU). The AOJ is instructed to seek Biloxi VAMC records as far back as 1980 to confirm the Veteran's history of a heart attack in the early 1980s and obtain an addendum etiological opinion that considers all available evidence.

The Veteran's cause of death is remanded for a medical opinion to determine if his esophageal cancer, hypertension, and coronary artery disease are related to his presumed in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cervical spine disorder with upper extremity radiculopathy. The appeal is now remanded to determine whether service connection should be granted for heart and hypertension disorders.,The Veteran claims that his current heart disorder and hypertension are related to his military service, presumed exposure to herbicide agents due to service in the Republic of Vietnam, or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.