Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has decided that the Veteran's aortic valve replacement surgery in February 2013 is not due to his service-connected ischemic heart disease and thus, denied entitlement to a temporary total evaluation. The issues of ischemic heart disease, PTSD, and TDIU are remanded for further development.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for a total disability based on individual unemployability.,The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to potential new evidence and further development is needed.,The claim for increased rating for degenerative disc disease of the thoracic and lumbar spine remains pending. A VA examination will be conducted to assess the current severity of the condition.,The claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to potential new evidence from the Veteran's hearing and need further development.,A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has a diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder. The examiner must also attempt to corroborate the Veteran’s reported stressors.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their associated functional impairment, which is necessary to evaluate his entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has dismissed the appeals due to the death of the appellant, and no rating is assigned as there are no merits issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear otitis media/externa and right ear otitis media/externa have been reopened, but the claims for constipation, a right eye disability, and a heart disability remain denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for pseudofolliculitis barbe has been reopened, but remains denied.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange and insufficient medical evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is denied because there is no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and the medical records do not show a link between his current condition and military service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and further examination.

The Board has ordered the VA to review the Veteran's claims folder and determine if an LVEF test is needed for his service-connected coronary artery disease. If required, they must also obtain a medical opinion regarding the severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examinations and a need for additional development regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disease, including whether it is related to service or secondary to PTSD and MDD.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction with heart transplant, and kidney disease status post kidney transplant as the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied because his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's low back disability is granted as service-connected.,Ischemic heart disease was denied due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) due to incomplete readings of the records by the examiners.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including hypertension and coronary artery disease. The cases are being returned for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding these conditions.

Your claim for service connection for coronary artery heart disease has already been granted. The Board is dismissing your appeal because the issue was resolved in a previous rating decision.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to further development being needed, including obtaining a VA medical opinion on causation issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) was incurred during a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA), specifically from August 9, 2008 to August 23, 2008. As such, service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected conditions contributed to it. The VA will obtain additional opinions on these issues.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a retrospective medical opinion to estimate METs for the period between September 2006 and August 2010. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the heart disease rating issue.