Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for Hepatitis C, Diabetes Mellitus Type II (DM II), Hypertension, and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) due to new evidence received. The effective date of the grant of service connection for epilepsy is also being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and ischemic heart disease as secondary to herbicide exposure. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings have been remanded.

The Board denied a claim for an increased rating for coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the Veteran's disability has not resulted in chronic congestive heart failure, workload of less than or equal to 3 METs, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent. The Veteran was assigned a 60% disability rating.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, type 2 and coronary artery disease are granted. The Board remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher evaluation for coronary artery disease (CAD) with cardiomyopathy was granted, but the appeal for an increased rating from February 15, 2018 was denied. The claims for evaluations in excess of 20 percent for peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being REMANDED for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records. The issues of increased rating for the left wrist, service connection for low back pain, service connection for a heart condition (Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome), and service connection for hypertension are all pending.

The Veteran's death was not caused by his own willful misconduct, and he had no service-connected disability that met the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 at the time of his death.

The Board dismissed the claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II. The claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's headaches are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's tinnitus is denied a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for a chronic heart disorder, to include ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy. The issue of TDIU is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam. The claims for service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the right neck and ischemic heart disease are remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for periodontal gum disease and hepatitis A have been denied. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to insufficient evidence.,The Veteran was not granted service connection for his claimed psychiatric, heart, sleep apnea, neck, upper extremity radiculopathy, head injury residuals, skin disorder, ankle, or knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to hypertension due to inadequate reasoning in the original decision.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations.,The Veteran is seeking higher ratings for his service-connected disabilities, which include right ankle and fibula traumatic arthritis, PTSD with TBI, radiculopathy of the upper extremities, cervical spine spondylosis, flexor tendonitis of the wrists, and disc bulges of the thoracolumbar spine. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) and hypertension due to herbicide agent exposure. The AOJ is instructed to conduct additional development, including obtaining records from the JSRRC and providing an opinion regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional review of new VA treatment records submitted since the last Statement of the Case. The issues include rating and service connection for various conditions, including a left knee disability, tinnitus, laceration of the right eye, skin rash (itching), headaches secondary to the laceration, vision loss, ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure, hypertension to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, sleep apnea to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, hyperechoic liver mass to include as secondary to herbicide exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and hyperlipidemia.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for coronary artery disease was denied, and his claim for TDIU was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the schedular criteria for a higher initial rating or TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's cognitive disorder with recurrent major depression, paranoia, and PTSD is rated at 100 percent from January 11, 2010 to October 5, 2017.,SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person was granted from January 11, 2010 to October 5, 2017.

The Veteran's amyloidosis and ischemic heart disease (CAD) claims are remanded for further development. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the CAD rating issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including verification of periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and rescheduling VA examinations.