Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that there was no nexus between his current diagnosed heart condition and his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The preponderance of evidence did not support the claim.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion asserting there was clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in an August 2016 decision that denied service connection for residuals of a broken nose and found proper termination of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease with hypertension and mitral valve prolapse, as well as for a cervical spine disability. The claim for heat exhaustion is remanded due to the need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease (CAD) is denied as the evidence does not show chronic congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for heart disease, including ischemic heart disease and coronary heart disease, on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's cause of death, coronary artery disease, is presumed to be related to his service in Thailand where he was exposed to herbicide agents. The Board granted the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 3, 2014 for service connection of coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the need for further development and clarification.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, costochondritis, and diabetes mellitus type II as secondary to Service-Connected Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS).,Service connection was granted for right wrist and left wrist disabilities (CTS) as secondary to SPS.

The Board has remanded the cases of the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease (CAD) for further development. The claims are being reviewed due to missing service treatment records, which were destroyed in a fire in 1973.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal via a Statement in Support of Claim received in June 2020.

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's claims, including increased ratings for migraine headaches and bilateral hearing loss, service connection for psychiatric disorders, sleep apnea, and heart conditions. Additional development is needed to obtain outstanding records and conduct examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease and prostate cancer due to insufficient information regarding his in-service exposure to contaminated groundwater at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. The AOJ is instructed to verify the Veteran’s claimed exposures and schedule him for an examination if necessary.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for skin growth, head; hypertension; heart condition; and stomach ulcers due to incomplete examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete development of medical records, specifically those from a private treatment provider in December 2018. The Veteran needs to provide a new VA Form 21-4142 authorization form for these records to be obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as he submitted fraudulent documents in the pursuit of VA compensation benefits.,The Board found that the Veteran knowingly provided numerous fraudulent documents, including those printed on an inkjet printer not available until 1976 and predated that time.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The Veteran's valvular heart disease was not related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents in service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling VA examinations. Service connection for hypertension will also be considered based on conceded herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for further development and examination of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a stomach condition, heart disability (including angina pectoris and coronary artery disease), diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, and BLE disorder have been denied. The Board found that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the stomach condition claim, and that there is no evidence of chronic symptoms or continuous since service separation for the other conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, and hypertension as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of prostate cancer and that his diagnosed conditions were more likely due to herbicide exposure during his time in Vietnam.