Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient information regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Guam, which could affect his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ataxia was remanded, and the RO granted service connection for orthostatic hypotension. The Board finds that this satisfied the Veteran’s claim for service connection for ataxia. The issue of SMC based on aid and attendance is now remanded due to new evidence indicating the need for regular aid and assistance.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding whether the Veteran served within 12 nautical miles of Vietnam while aboard the USS Ticonderoga, which could affect his claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy are granted as service connected due to herbicide exposure. The claims for hypertension, right arm scar, and right ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a heart disability, claimed as ischemic heart disease, due to herbicide exposure is granted on the basis of presumed service connection.

The Board has granted effective dates of September 16, 1993 for the awards of service connection for coronary artery disease and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for coronary artery disease with pacemaker implant was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to October 12, 2019. From October 12, 2019, to the present, his evaluation remains at 60 percent.,The Veteran's initial evaluation for residuals of right knee replacement associated with arthritis was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to May 1, 2014.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, heart disease, residuals of a CVA, and PAD due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's single elevated blood pressure reading in service and post-service readings are at issue.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and heart condition. The case is being remanded to obtain an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran’s heart condition is at least as likely as not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to develop evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed exposure to herbicide agents in service, including his specific contentions of duty near Udorn Airfield and overnight trips to Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. A VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has ischemic heart disease and whether his arrhythmia, post-pacemaker implantation, is related to his military service, including herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating prior to February 12, 2020 and thereafter.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected or eligible for service connection disability, and the Board denied service connection for the cause of death.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to a subdural hematoma, finding that ischemic heart disease did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

Service connection for a heart disability is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.,Service connection for hypertension is granted as it is related to the service-connected heart disability.

The Veteran's atherosclerotic coronary artery disease with bypass surgery is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability and that any potential presumptive service connection due to herbicide exposure cannot be established.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including diabetes mellitus, heart disability, peripheral neuropathy, erectile dysfunction, liver disease, low back disability, and sleep apnea, all claimed as secondary to service-connected encephalitis. The remand requires additional medical opinions addressing whether these conditions were aggravated by or caused by the service-connected encephalitis.

Your appeals for service connection have been dismissed as you withdrew your claims and appeals in a September 2020 letter.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease are granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his time at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base.