Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that prostate cancer was not related to his military service and did not contribute to his death.

The Board dismissed the claim of service connection for hypertension, as the appellant withdrew her appeal.,Service connection was granted for coronary artery disease. The Board found that the Veteran's duty placed him near the air base perimeter in Thailand and resolved all doubts in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to new laws and regulations regarding service connection based on exposure to herbicide agents, particularly Agent Orange. The Veteran's claims are being reviewed in light of these changes.

The Veteran is eligible for specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities, which result in the effective loss of use of both lower extremities. The appeal seeking a special home adaptation grant is dismissed as moot.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for SMC and a higher rating for CAD, as well as service connection for sleep apnea. The decision is based on the lack of evidence that the Veteran met the criteria for SMC under the applicable regulations.

The appeal to reopen the claim for service connection for a heart condition is granted.,The appeal to reopen the claim for service connection for abdominal aortic aneurysm or any associated residuals, including as due to herbicide exposure is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, coronary artery disease, ischemic heart disease, tinnitus, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that he meets the requirements for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure is dismissed.,The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee arthritis, degenerative arthritis of the left knee, lumbar strain, and tinnitus are all dismissed as they were granted with a final effective date of December 1, 2015.,The claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure is denied because new and material evidence has not been received.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is currently rated at 10 percent and the Board denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 10 percent. The Board found that it more nearly approximated this level of disability throughout the appeal period.,The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of IHD, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus, type II were denied as they were not received before the applicable liberalizing laws took effect.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected diabetes mellitus was denied because it was filed after the May 8, 2001 law that added diabetes to the list of presumptively related conditions.

The Board has dismissed all service connection and increased rating claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected disabilities, specifically Meniere’s syndrome and the cardiovascular conditions. The Board found that these conditions aggravated his heart issues and contributed to his cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence regarding possible DDT exposure and its potential link to the Veteran's pancreatic cancer. The case will be referred for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his coronary artery disease and denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to September 21, 2015. The Veteran was granted a 30 percent evaluation for coronary artery disease from August 6, 2012, to April 14, 2015.

The Board has remanded the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and service connection for CAD, DM, and HTN secondary to cervical/lumbar spine disabilities due to incomplete development of evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease have been granted. Service connection for high blood pressure, which is secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, has also been granted. The claim for hearing loss remains pending as the VA examination scheduled was not conducted.

The Veteran's initial ratings for left ankle tendonitis with gouty arthritis, migraine headaches, coronary artery disease with valvular heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, and hypertension were all denied.,No new evidence or changes in service connection theory were presented.

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition and a left leg injury, finding no current disability related to the Veteran's claimed conditions during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for Ischemic Heart Disease and TDIU prior to October 20, 2011 were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating or TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for prostate cancer, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and deep vein thrombosis due to a lack of compliance with previous instructions. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart condition, to include ischemic heart disease has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.