Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's TDIU is granted since January 29, 2018 due to service-connected acquired psychiatric disability and ischemic heart disease preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's respiratory condition, including emphysema and COPD, is found to be related to his military service. The heart condition is also found to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, myelodysplastic syndrome, bilateral upper and lower neuropathy disabilities, amputation of the toes and right leg, and kidney failure disability due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's heart disease with heart attack and anxiety and depressive disorder were denied. The claim for an increased rating for the service-connected anxiety and depressive disorder was granted, but only effective from May 18, 2016.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) is denied as the symptoms do not warrant a higher than 10 percent rating.,The Veteran's initial disability rating for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is denied as the symptoms do not warrant a higher than 30 percent rating.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals regarding his service connection for major depressive disorder and ischemic heart disease, as well as his claims for increased ratings and TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease, both presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's service in Thailand.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is readjudicated due to new evidence received after the November 2007 denial.,Service connection is granted for acid reflux (GERD), coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).,The claims for service connection for acid reflux, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded due to the need for a VA examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to readjudicate the claim for service connection for a heart disability, as secondary to service-connected generalized anxiety disorder. The case is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to November 21, 2011 is remanded as the evidence shows he was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities. The case will be referred to the Director of Compensation Service for an initial determination on whether TDIU is warranted on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims due to deficiencies in the examinations obtained, including discrepancies between recent VA examinations and a submitted private medical assessment. The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) status-post coronary artery bypass surgery and hypertension are being examined again for proper evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for obtaining additional medical records related to the Veteran's heart conditions, as requested by the Appellant. The cause of death was due to acute coronary syndrome and hypertensive heart disease.

The Veteran's service connection for CAD was granted on September 12, 2007. The Board has ordered remand to obtain medical records and determine if the diagnosis of CAD predates this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to August 31, 2013, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches, sleep apnea, and heart disability are related to service and have assigned a remand for further examination.

The Board denied the claim for DIC based on service connection for the cause of the Veteran’s death, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between the Veteran's military service and his cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no service connection decisions were made.

The Veteran's initial increased rating for coronary artery disease from March 30, 2004 to April 6, 2006 was denied. From April 6, 2006 to February 2011, a higher rating of 10 percent was also denied. Effective February 2011, the Veteran's CAD was rated at 60 percent until September 1, 2014 when it was reduced to 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examinations and because of new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims are now pending with the appropriate development.