Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, peripheral artery disease, coronary artery disease, and stroke.,None of the Veteran's conditions were found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss after December 20, 2012 was denied. The Board also denied the Veteran's request for a 10 percent evaluation under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324 based on multiple, noncompensable, service-connected disabilities prior to August 31, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disability is related to his service-connected pulmonary embolism, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability and increased rating for PTSD with depression have been denied. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of direct or presumptive service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ankle lateral collateral ligament sprain, hypertension, and heart disease due to insufficient examination reports that did not consider credible lay statements of record.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for cardiac diastolic dysfunction with mild left ventricular hypertrophy (claimed as ischemic heart disease) has been dismissed.,Multiple increased rating claims, including those for the right shoulder, upper thigh (extension), upper thigh (flexion), and upper thigh (abduction, adduction, and rotation) have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for PTSD has been dismissed.,Claims for scars on the neck and arm have also been dismissed.,Multiple earlier effective date claims have been dismissed.,PTSD benefits were awarded effective March 30, 2015, but TDIU was not granted prior to this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and melanoma, both of which were not related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer is granted, as supported by a July 2019 opinion linking the condition to his military service. Service connection is also granted for neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities secondary to bladder cancer treatment. The appeal related to increased ratings for PTSD, sleep apnea, CAD scars, and diabetes mellitus remains pending.

The Veteran's heart condition, diagnosed as valvular and hypertensive heart disease, is granted service connection. An initial rating of 10 percent for right thumb strain is also granted. The TDIU claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disability and prostate disability were remanded. The Board finds that the earliest possible effective date for the award of service connection for hypertension is August 1, 2017—the date of his claim.,The Veteran’s claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disability and prostate disability should be remanded to afford the Veteran VA examinations.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension was remanded. The Board finds that remand is warranted to obtain outstanding records and address the absence of evidence in the Veteran’s STRs.,The Veteran’s claim of entitlement to service connection for restless leg syndrome was remanded. Remand is warranted to afford the Veteran a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD was remanded. The Board finds that remand is warranted to obtain an addendum opinion concerning the etiology of the Veteran’s PTSD.,The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for cataracts status post lens implants and dry eye syndrome was remanded. Remand is warranted to afford the Veteran a new VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for epilepsy, a heart disability, and an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), finding that new and material evidence supports these claims. The skin disability claim remains pending.

The Board has granted an effective date of September 1, 2008 for the award of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death due to coronary artery disease.

The Board has ordered the VA to obtain additional medical records, including those from Boston Medical Center and private cardiologist. The appeal will be remanded for these steps.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding no current diagnosis and conflicting opinions from VA examiners.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied, and a 60% rating for CAD prior to May 7, 2019 was granted. The issues of service connection for Sleep-Wake Disorder were remanded.

The appeal to reopen a claim of service connection for right shoulder impingement syndrome is granted. The appeal seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) is dismissed. Entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary due to conflicting diagnoses of the Veteran's heart condition and requests clarification on whether he has a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e).

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for COPD and a heart condition need further examination and evaluation. The COPD claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during service, while the heart condition claim requires an additional medical opinion considering the Veteran's service treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to concerns about the adequacy of the VA examinations and the need for a new examination to assess the Veteran's coronary artery disease.

The Board has denied service connection for COPD, but has remanded the issues of service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes, carotid arterial disease, left hand disability, right hand disability, and neuropathy of the lower extremities as due to herbicide exposure. The issue of compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for left true vocal cord paralysis with dysphonia and globus sensation has been remanded.