Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was denied before August 15, 2017. From August 15, 2017, the VA granted a 60 percent rating for his coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and posttraumatic stress disorder have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantial gainful employment, and the Board has granted a total disability rating due to individual unemployability on a schedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and examination due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a VA lung and heart examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient opinions provided in previous VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient examination reports and incomplete records, particularly regarding the Veteran's military personnel records and VA treatment records from the Chattanooga VA clinic. The issues of service connection for knee conditions and heart condition are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's bladder/reproductive disability claim is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for hypertension and hypertensive heart disease is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran's right knee replacement warrants a minimum 30 percent rating. A higher rating is not warranted as he does not have ankylosis, limitation of extension of the knee, or impairment of the tibia and fibula.,The criteria for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for deep vein thrombosis have not been met as the disability resolved prior to the filing of the appeal.,The Veteran's heart disability is remanded for an addendum opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertensive heart disease and residuals of gunshot wound, as well as his claim for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability. The claims will be remanded for further development including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus due to herbicide agent exposure, as there is insufficient evidence to determine if he served in or near the Republic of Vietnam where the presumption applies.

The Veteran's heart condition was rated at 30 percent prior to November 18, 2011. The Board found that the evidence did not show more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure or workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea and fatigue. A TDIU on an extraschedular basis was remanded for further review.

The Board found no evidence of carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill or error in judgment by the VA and concluded that the Veteran's heart disability was not caused by any event not reasonably foreseeable. Therefore, the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for heart disability (coronary artery disease with atrial fibrillation and enlarged aorta) is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and type II diabetes mellitus are remanded due to a lack of verification of herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's claim for a temporary 100% rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) from November 16, 2015 to January 16, 2016 is granted. The Veteran's claim for revision of the May 1968 denial of service connection for a stomach condition based on CUE is denied and remanded.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to herbicide agents near the DMZ during his active duty.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical professional to review the file and provide an opinion on when the Veteran's coronary artery disease first became manifest, including considering records from his inpatient treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 1982.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, psychiatric disorder, and TDIU have been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and clarification, including service connection claims that are currently pending.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to inadequate medical examinations and testimony indicating worsening of symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a pilonidal cyst, sulfa allergy, iodine allergy, frostbite of the bilateral lower and upper extremities, heart disability, pneumonia, and an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD), all potentially related to herbicide agent exposure. The Board also requested additional medical records from prison and hospital visits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral vascular disease of the left and right lower extremities, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremity are all denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted service connection based on continuity of symptomatology since separation from service.