Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) secondary to exposure to herbicide agents and the cause of death due to IHD. The Veteran was found to have been exposed to herbicide agents in Vietnam, leading to presumptive service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, denied service connection for heart disability and bilateral hearing loss, and granted an initial rating of 70 percent for PTSD. The appeal is dismissed as there was no justiciable case or controversy.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a lack of evidence linking his heart and lung conditions to his active duty service, including Agent Orange exposure. The appellant's statements were not considered competent medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to a request from the parties for additional development regarding the service connection of PVD secondary to diabetes and/or ischemic heart disease.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not show regulation of activities required to meet a higher rating.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the AOJ failing to comply with previous directives and for providing an inadequate rationale in the VA examiner's opinion. The Veteran is seeking service connection for coronary artery disease, but the remand requires the VA examiner to provide an etiology opinion on a direct theory of entitlement and address the Veteran’s contentions and those of the private examiner.

The Veteran's diagnosed coronary artery disease is presumed to be related to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN). Service connection for this condition is granted.

PTSD has been granted as related to an in-service stressor.,The claim for cancer of the left pharyngeal tonsil is remanded due to lack of evidence corroborating exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board has ordered a remand for an additional VA examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease, as the previous examiner did not conduct a METs exercise test.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) does not render him unable to secure and maintain gainful employment, as his other conditions do not impact his ability to work in his occupation of agricultural sales.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and therefore no effective date for CAD or TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for headaches, a respiratory condition (to include as due to herbicide exposure), and ischemic heart disease were dismissed. The appeal for service connection for a traumatic brain injury is remanded.

The appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, and erectile dysfunction due to the failure to verify the Veteran's claimed herbicide agent exposure during his period of active duty.

The Board has granted an effective date of October 17, 2005 for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease (including coronary artery disease). The decision is based on evidence showing a diagnosis of ischemia from September 2002 and possible onset of coronary artery disease by June 2005. The Veteran's claim was filed between May 3, 1989, and the effective date of the statute or regulations establishing a presumption of service connection for the covered disease (August 31, 2010).

The Board has granted service connection for bradycardia associated with hypothyroidism. The claim for a heart disability other than bradycardia is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for heart disease due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for a heart condition, finding that it is related to his in-service exposure to JP-4 jet fuel.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for depression was denied, as his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a disability rating of 70 percent or higher.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease was also denied, with no current diagnosis found during the pendency of the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for high cholesterol, secondary to diabetes mellitus is denied.,The Veteran's initial rating for diabetes mellitus remains at 20% and is not increased.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, secondary to diabetes mellitus is remanded due to a duty to assist error.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disability (ischemic heart disease), due to Agent Orange exposure is remanded due to a duty to assist error.