Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition and COPD, both presumed to be due to exposure at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran did not have current diagnoses of these conditions.

Service connection for ischemic heart disease, including coronary artery disease is granted. Service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis is remanded.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal for a compensable rating for service-connected sensorineural hearing loss. The appeals for service connection for DMII, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, CAD, and left shoulder disorder are remanded due to lack of evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension. Service connection is denied for malaria residuals, heart disability, diabetes mellitus, type 2, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) caused or aggravated his heart condition, which contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the claims for COPD, heart disabilities, and pulmonary hypertension due to service-connected asbestosis. The Veteran's COPD is now considered secondary to his service-connected asbestosis. Additional development is needed including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion on whether COPD was caused or aggravated by asbestosis.

The Board has granted service connection for throat cancer residuals and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents and pesticides during his service in the Panama Canal Zone is sufficient to establish presumptive service connection.

The Board denied service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and ischemic heart disease, finding no evidence of direct service connection or exposure to herbicides that would support a presumption of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, COPD, and a heart disorder were denied in July 2009. The appellant did not have a pending claim at the time of her husband's death, so accrued benefits are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for coronary artery disease and headaches due to incomplete medical records and a need for additional opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back disability, cervical spine disability, coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of service treatment records. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions based on his military service in South Korea.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The cases for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a heart disorder, to include coronary artery disease and hypertension are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, Type II diabetes mellitus, and related disabilities are granted. The Board also remanded the Veteran’s claim for service connection for hypertension and a left knee disorder.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% rating for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence of entitlement prior to the date of his formal claim on October 21, 2013.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran’s claims. The issues of entitlement to service connection for left knee pain, right knee pain, heart condition, hypertension, and PTSD are all remanded.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 16, 2010 to April 15, 2012.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional development regarding the occupational impact of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation for the appeal period from April 30, 2010 to August 1, 2019. For the rating period beginning August 2, 2019 to September 30, 2020, a TDIU is moot.

The Veteran's entitlement to a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease, effective from February 1, 2020, is granted. Basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits, effective February 1, 2020, but no earlier, is also granted.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including right and left knee disorders, heart disorder, respiratory disorder (likely COPD), diabetes mellitus, type II, and lower extremity disabilities. The claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence in some cases.