Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA and private treatment records related to his ischemic heart disease prior to September 11, 2017. The issues of rating in excess of 60 percent and TDIU prior to January 8, 2019 are also being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an opinion regarding the Veteran's heart disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent prior to September 5, 2019 and in excess of 20 percent from September 5, 2019 for right upper extremity polyneuropathy with right ulnar neuropathy is remanded due to the need for clarification regarding whether the right wrist contracture is a manifestation of the service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, to include as due to in-service herbicide agent exposure, is remanded due to uncertainty about his diagnosis of ischemic heart disease and the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing cardiac disabilities.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, left lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, and right lower extremity neuropathy, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, are remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion from a clinician who possesses experience in diagnosing peripheral neuropathies.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings of service-connected hearing loss, coronary artery disease (CAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings in any of these cases.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable prior to January 15, 2016. As of that date, his combined rating was at least 70 percent and he received a TDIU due to the severity of his conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of the Veteran's death and its relation to service, specifically herbicide exposure. The claims for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 and survivor pension benefits are also inextricably intertwined with the issue of service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has decided to remand several claims for additional development due to the addition of VA treatment records and the need for updated examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and hypothyroidism due to inadequate opinions in the VA examination reports. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and right and left foot disorders, back disorder, heart disorder, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD, anxiety, and depression) are all remanded for further development.,The Veteran has not provided sufficient evidence to establish a current disability for VA purposes for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds the examination adequate as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.

The Board denied service connection for a disability manifested by vertigo and dizziness, as well as service connection for a psychiatric disability. The heart disability claim was remanded, and the skin disability claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation greater than 10 percent disabling for the period prior to March 23, 2016, and greater than 30 percent thereafter, for service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and a scar due to the bypass surgery has been dismissed because the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or substantially confined to his home prior to October 31, 2017. Therefore, SMC based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound criteria was denied.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease. The TDIU claim prior to July 30, 2012 is granted. The hypertension secondary to coronary artery disease claim is remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed because he is already receiving a 100% disability rating and SMC, so the TDIU would not provide any additional benefits.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease has not been productive of a workload greater than three metabolic equivalents (METs), but not greater than five METs, resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope. The Board found the evidence against an initial rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for a withdrawal of the appeal. The issues of higher ratings for coronary artery disease, erectile dysfunction, and TDIU have not been decided.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension and its secondary effects on her heart condition, stroke residuals, and respiratory condition. The issues are being remanded to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension, heart disability, and stroke residuals due to insufficient opinions addressing all theories of entitlement.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that there is no current diagnosis of such condition and thus cannot grant service connection.