Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hip and right ankle disabilities have been dismissed. The appeal for tinnitus has been granted. Appeals for initial ratings of anxiety disorder and CAD are being remanded.

The Veteran's cause of death (COPD and congestive heart failure) is not considered to be related to his service, but the Board has ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding whether any of his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a direct link between any of these conditions and the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking his causes of death to his active duty service or his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for a heart disability and remanded the claims of service connection for pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension. The Veteran's heart disability is not related to his military service, but further examination is needed to determine if his pulmonary disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's hypertension, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, hepatitis C with cirrhosis of the liver, gastroesophageal disability (including GERD and Barrett's esophagus), heart disability other than CAD (paroxysmal atrial fibrillation), and erectile dysfunction are all granted. However, due to insufficient evidence, several issues related to these conditions have been remanded for further development.

The Veteran's cause of death is denied as there is no evidence that his service-connected conditions or any other condition caused or contributed to his death. The VA examiner found the esophageal cancer less likely related to herbicide exposure, and the CAD and hypertension were not considered contributory causes.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and diabetes mellitus type II are granted as these conditions are presumed to be related to his in-service herbicide agent exposure.

The Board dismissed all appeals related to the Veteran's claims for increased ratings, service connection, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further action on service connection claims, including a claim for cause of death. No other issues have been resolved.

The Veteran's claims for increased PTSD, ischemic heart disease, Peyronie's disease, and left knee disability are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for ischemic heart disease is being remanded as it may be related to herbicide agent exposure during his service aboard the USS America. Additional evidence will be needed to determine if this exposure can be presumed based on his service record.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for Peyronie's disease is also being remanded due to potential herbicide agent exposure during his service aboard the USS America. Additional evidence will be needed to determine if this exposure can be presumed based on his service record.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a left knee disability is being remanded as it may be related to an in-service injury. An examination will be required to assess whether any current conditions are at least as likely as not caused by the in-service injury.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and erectile dysfunction due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support the claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy has been granted. Service connection for CAD is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) is rated at 100% effective December 13, 2016. The Board also granted special monthly compensation based on housebound status from July 20, 2018.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to April 21, 2010 and a rating in excess of 30 percent from April 21, 2010 for ischemic heart disease is remanded due to the need for a current VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and missing service treatment records. The Veteran's heart disability needs further examination and outstanding records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for coronary artery disease, s/p myocardial infarction is denied as the evidence does not support an evaluation greater than 60 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, transient cerebral ischemic attack, and sinusitis are granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during active duty. However, the claim for coronary artery disease is denied as there was no evidence of herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases due to non-compliance with previous directives, and additional development is required for issues related to coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, chronic sinus infections, and bowel condition.