Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and coronary artery disease due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service or relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertension, heart attack, and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's hypertension and atrial fibrillation associated with hypertensive heart disease are granted, but the Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal because his notice of disagreement was not timely filed, and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiac disability, including ischemic heart disease, as there was no evidence of a nexus to his active service or exposure to herbicides. The Board found that the Veteran did not have ischemic heart disease and that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a finding of a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including asking the Veteran to provide additional information about his work at a store and any other attempts he made to find employment between January 2011 and January 5, 2017. The AOJ should consider whether this is an appropriate case for referral to the Director for consideration of a possible extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical evidence and a newly raised theory of service connection based on aggravation. A new VA examination is needed to determine the etiology and nature of the Veteran's heart conditions, including whether they are related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety), finding no current diagnosis of such a condition.,Service connection was also denied for bicuspid aortic valve, as the Veteran's pre-existing defect did not worsen during his period of active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II due to herbicide exposure is granted. The Board found the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during his service at Udorn, Ubon, and Nahkom Phanom RTAFBs.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 1, 2014 for service-connected ischemic heart disease is denied. The earliest evidence of record showing ischemic heart disease was in September 2016, and the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable degree under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes, as well as the potential connection to Agent Orange exposure. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum medical opinion to address the Veteran's heart conditions, specifically whether they are related to service or herbicide agent exposure. The examiner is instructed to provide a comprehensive rationale and consider all relevant evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obesity, diabetes mellitus, stroke, hypertension, and heart disability due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for unspecified depressive disorder has been granted. The decision also includes the reopening of claims for heart disease, hypertension, left foot disability, right foot disability, and neck disability.

The Veteran's death prevented any accrued benefits from being awarded as there were no pending claims at the time of his death.

The Board has denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a heart disorder and diabetes mellitus, type II due to alleged failure of VA care during the period from 2014-2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current heart disability and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) has been increased to 60 percent, effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at 10 percent and remains unchanged. The Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's coronary artery disease requires further examination to determine its current severity.,The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease needs to be re-evaluated due to outdated medical records. TDIU is also referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for extraschedular consideration.

All issues on appeal are remanded for further development and consideration. The Veteran's hypertension is found to be due to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.,The Veteran's chronic bladder cystitis is remanded as the VA examination did not address this issue.