Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case for further development and to obtain a medical opinion regarding the Veteran's cause of death, including whether PTSD contributed to his death.

The Board has denied service connection for breathing disorder (COPD), obstructive sleep apnea, heart disorder, and high cholesterol. The case is remanded to obtain a VA examination regarding hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and PTSD, have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since June 8, 2016. The Board has determined that the criteria for TDIU were met during this period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted. The claims for residuals of stroke, skin disability, and abnormal growth of the left ear are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and completing an addendum opinion from a VA provider. The addendum should address whether the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to military service or caused by his service-connected disabilities, including obesity.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, but has found that additional development is needed due to the complexity of the issues and potential overlap between some of them.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings and service connection are remanded due to inadequate examination reports. The Veteran needs new examinations to assess the severity of his ischemic heart disease, peripheral vascular disease (PVD), and peripheral neuropathy in the lower extremities.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to August 8, 2019, for coronary artery disease and a TDIU are remanded due to the need for additional development including new METs testing.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disability, prostate cancer, and back disability due to new evidence received from the appellant's National Guard service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for right breast excision of benign fibroadenoma was denied. The issue of service connection for a heart disorder is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records. The issue of an increased rating for asthma, bronchitis, and scars from right breast excision is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's heart condition is being evaluated for its relationship to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, as well as any herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the eligibility requirements for a TDIU due to their combined rating of at most 50 percent, and there is no evidence that they prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected heart and skin conditions did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to February 3, 2011. From that date onward, he was rated as totally disabled due to a combination of his service-connected disabilities and additional non-service-connected disabilities.

The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent disabling for the period prior to December 28, 2017, and 100 percent disabling for the period thereafter, for service-connected PTSD due to withdrawal. The Veteran's hypertension is granted as presumptively related to his Vietnam-era exposure. The Board has remanded issues of service connection for a respiratory disability (including chronic cough and COPD), sleep apnea (secondary to PTSD), and heart disability (including heart disease and atrial fibrillation) due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for ischemic heart disease was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a rating in excess of 30 percent for the periods prior to December 15, 2014 and from March 1, 2015 to April 25, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service records and the need for additional development regarding herbicide exposure at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The cause of death is being considered as related to military service.

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

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and the Board found that his diabetes, coronary artery disease, and hypertension were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for type II diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and active military service or exposure to herbicide agents.