Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at St. John Medical Center on January 29, 2016, are granted as the treatment was rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and a heart disorder need further examination to determine if they are related to his military service or any other factors.

The Veteran's chronic heart disability and hypertension are now service-connected. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including assigning an initial rating for the service-connected disabilities and determining if a TDIU is warranted prior to January 6, 2011.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and ratings for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, perforated tympanic membrane, biclonal gammopathy with multiple myeloma, pulmonary nodules of the right lung, and immune thrombocytopenic purpura. The effective dates were not earlier than September 19, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing and a special home adaptation grant are remanded due to the need for substantial compliance with prior Board directives.

The Board has remanded the claim for a retrospective examination to assess the impact of service-connected disabilities on the Veteran's work capacity during the period from April 21, 2014 to February 1, 2016. The effective date is not addressed as it pertains to the retroactive application of a 100% schedular rating.

The Veteran's death was caused by chronic renal failure and COPD, with hypertension possibly contributing. The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for cause of death and DIC under § 1318 are inextricably intertwined with the pending claims for PTSD, alcoholism, alcohol-induced dementia, and a heart condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in service. The claims will be reconsidered after this development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, and type II diabetes mellitus due to lack of exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange during his active duty in Thailand. The Board also found that these conditions were not present during service or related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of increased evaluation and TDIU due to atherosclerotic heart disease. The Veteran underwent triple bypass surgery in November 2017, which may have affected his current disability status.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of bilateral lower extremity cellulitis, bilateral hip arthritis, and throat polyps. The Veteran is also granted an increased rating for his prostatitis with BPH.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for post myocardial infarction is reopened. The heart condition claim, which includes herbicide exposure as a basis, is remanded due to lack of specific dates of active duty and inactive duty training.

This decision denies the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for presumed embolization/migration of a brachytherapy seed to the left lower lung, associated with residuals of adenocarcinoma of the prostate (brachytherapy seed), and grants service connection for coronary artery disease, a painful scar of the right leg associated with coronary artery disease, and SMC based upon housebound criteria. The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 11, 2014 for these conditions is denied.,This decision also denies the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to December 11, 2014 for service connection of a surgical scar associated with coronary artery disease and SMC based upon housebound criteria. The Veteran's claim for an extension of SMC beyond February 1, 2015 is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, to include coronary artery disease, finding that it did not have its initial onset in or was otherwise etiologically related to active service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AFib) arrhythmia is granted.,The Veteran's service connection claim for hypertension, to include as secondary to service-connected AFib arrhythmia, is granted.,The Veteran's service connection claim for erectile dysfunction is remanded.,The Veteran's service connection claim for residuals of left elbow fracture is remanded.,The Veteran's service connection claim for post traumatic scarring of the left epididymitis is remanded.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for heart condition, to include coronary artery disease, was denied as new and material evidence has not been received. The claims for initial rating in excess of 10 percent for sinusitis and compensable rating for allergic rhinitis are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for prostate disorder, diabetes mellitus type 2, colon cancer, and coronary artery disease due to a lack of evidence showing exposure to Agent Orange or any other toxic herbicide in service. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and requires additional development. The claims of service connection for depressive disorder, heart disability, and gastrointestinal disorder are being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including arteriosclerotic heart disease, a headache condition, an upper left arm disability, and a left chest disability. The AOJ is instructed to verify the veteran's periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA, and schedule VA examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability increased in severity prior to July 11, 2017.