Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure of duty to assist, specifically in verifying the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Korea. The Appellant seeks presumptive service connection for the cause of her husband's death based on alleged exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for thyroid disorder, hypertension, heart disorder, and bilateral eye disorder other than macular degeneration due to exposure to herbicide agents. The VA examinations need to be supplemented with additional opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions in relation to the Veteran's military service.

The Board dismissed all appeals seeking service connection for various conditions, including heart disorder, liver disorder, and psychiatric disorders. The appeals were dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease substantially contributed to his death. The claim for service connection for cancer is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a causal relationship between his current condition and his military service or any other service-connected conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient opinions on secondary service connection for heart condition and a need for additional VA treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for CAD, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service event or injury related to CAD and no causal connection between the condition and his active duty service. The preponderance of the evidence supported this decision.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is rated at 100 percent since August 31, 2010. The appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to May 4, 2011, is dismissed as moot.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, left knee disability, ischemic heart disease, lung disability, and sleep apnea. The temporary total disability rating for convalescence after left knee surgery is also denied as a matter of law. The Veteran's psychiatric disability is remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that there was no evidence of exposure to herbicides or other conditions during service and insufficient medical evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Veteran's heart disability, including ischemic cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease, is presumed to be related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease was denied higher staged initial ratings, with a final rating of 60 percent from July 28, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of herbicide exposure at Fort Gordon, Georgia. The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease will be reconsidered with this new information.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show chronic congestive heart failure, a workload of 3 METs or less, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent at any time during the period under review. TDIU based solely on CAD was granted as it rendered the Veteran unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience. SMC at the housebound rate was also granted due to the combined rating for service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's coronary bypass surgery resulted in a workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs, resulting in fatigue. This meets the criteria for a 60 percent disability rating from May 1, 2015 to December 17, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for valvular heart disease, an eye disability (nerve palsy residuals of head trauma), a back disability, and a right shoulder disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service or exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for PTSD and ischemic heart disease, as well as his TDIU claim prior to December 11, 2019, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional evidence and an opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's coronary artery disease, including whether it is related to service and/or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disability, gastrointestinal disability (IBS), chronic renal disease, back disability, right shoulder disability, high blood pressure, left hip disability, and right hip disability. Service connection was not established for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's heart conditions, including atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction, are not considered to have begun during service or be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is also not considered to have begun during service or be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.