Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's representative must be provided a copy of the August 2019 statement of the case/supplemental statement of the case, and there is a need to perfect an appeal on the issue of service connection for a heart condition status post surgery within 60 days. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate compliance with previous remand directives, specifically regarding an opinion on whether the Veteran's heart disorder existed prior to service and was aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records and address the issues of a higher rating for coronary artery disease and TDIU.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the Veteran had aortic valve replacement surgery related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease, and granted secondary service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.,The claims for service connection for a left knee condition, right knee condition, hearing loss, hypertension, hypertensive cardiovascular heart disease, and gastritis have also been reopened.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), right knee disability, respiratory disability, polycythemia vera, lower extremity neuropathy, ischemic heart disease, traumatic brain injury, and eye disability have all been granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the Veteran's allegations of exposure to Agent Orange and ionizing radiation, as well as his current diagnoses of diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, hypertension, bilateral neuropathy of the upper extremities, eye disorder, and erectile dysfunction. The VA is required to obtain additional military records and provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected Parkinson’s disease was severed due to a misdiagnosis in the original rating decision.,The Veteran's 30% rating for coronary artery disease is restored from September 1, 2017.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for back pain, weakened immune system, bruising, memory loss, and heart disorder as these issues are related to previously granted conditions. Service connection for loss of vision in the left eye is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that there is no competent evidence linking his current condition to his active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical examination opinion regarding the Veteran's heart condition. The examiner did not provide a fact-based rationale for her conclusion that the Veteran’s heart condition was not incurred in service, nor addressed his lay statements about symptom onset and frequency since service.

The Board denied the restoration of a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease, finding that there was improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to inadequate examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has denied service connection for heart disability (coronary artery disease), colon cancer, and sleep apnea. The joint disability claim is remanded.,Service connection for the joint disability (previously claimed as immune deficiency or disability to include lupus) remains pending.

The Veteran's increased disability rating for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The appeal to reopen a claim for service connection for Hashimotos disease (now claimed as a thyroid condition) is granted. The issue of service connection for a heart condition, to include sinus bradycardia, is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and diabetes mellitus, type II. The decision on these matters is pending further action by VA.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional examinations. The issues of heart condition, neurological disorders of the legs, and chronic fatigue syndrome have been denied on the basis of no current disability.

The Veteran's heart condition has worsened, and he needs a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an updated examination of the Veteran's coronary artery disease and because the issue of TDIU is intertwined with the claim for increased rating.