Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has dismissed all claims due to the death of the Appellant, as appellants' claims do not survive their death.

The Veteran's death was not caused by service or a service-connected disability. The claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 is also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records review.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from March 1, 2017 onward due to service-connected disabilities. However, the case is remanded for consideration of whether a TDIU should be awarded from October 1, 2013 to March 1, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for right ankle pain, IBS, and left knee arthritis. The Veteran's CAD was granted a 10 percent rating but the claim is still pending as it remains on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service.

The Veteran's heart disability is currently rated as 60 percent disabling from November 8, 1999 to April 16, 2013 and from August 1, 2013 onward. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating due to lack of chronic congestive heart failure or other functional impairment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and neuropathy of the left lower extremity have all been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for ischemic heart disease and TDIU prior to October 20, 2011 are being remanded due to missing VA treatment records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the severity of his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease was granted. However, the issue of an increased rating for coronary artery disease and service connection for neurocognitive disorder is still pending.,The Board has determined that the evidence does not make it reasonably certain that any improvement to the Veteran’s coronary artery disease will be maintained under ordinary conditions of life, thus restoring a 60 percent rating. The issue of an increased rating for coronary artery disease and service connection for neurocognitive disorder is still pending.

The Board denied service connection for asbestosis due to a lack of evidence showing current asbestosis and the absence of an etiological link.,Service connection is remanded for COPD, with a need for clarification on whether the Veteran was exposed to asbestos during active duty.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease) is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart condition are currently rated at 10% and 30%, respectively. The Board has found the current evaluations to be inadequate and has ordered a remand for further examination.

The Board has denied reopening the claim for hypertension and found that there is no new and material evidence to support it. The Veteran's high cholesterol was also not service-connected as a laboratory finding does not qualify for VA compensation.,Claims for earlier effective dates have been denied due to lack of proof of an increase in disability occurring within one year prior to the date of claim.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran did not have a disease or injury related to service and that there was no evidence of herbicide agent exposure. The current disability is presumed to be unrelated to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, multiple myeloma, and diabetes mellitus due to potential herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disorder and sleep apnea due to new evidence received after the previous denial. The Veteran's heart disorder may have existed prior to his military service, but further examination is needed to determine if it was aggravated by service or incurred during service. For sleep apnea, an examination is required to assess its relationship to service.

The Board's decision is revised to deny the claim of entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate, effective July 12, 2013.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including service connection for sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, a heart condition, and hypertension. The reasons for remanding these cases include the need for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the disabilities in question, as well as the need to obtain medical opinions regarding whether the conditions are related to military service or secondary to other conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for IHD, hypertension, and peripheral neuropathy due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim for diabetes was not reopened as new and material evidence was not provided.