Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, heart disease, and hypertension due to lack of evidence or further development is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, as due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further evaluation, and his TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and heart disability, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claims. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various disabilities, including cervical spine disability, back disability, bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hip disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral ankle disability, bilateral foot disability, rhinitis, bronchitis, asthma, heart disability, prostate cancer, and urinary incontinence. The reasons are that the Veteran failed to report to scheduled VA examinations for these disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, and to ensure there is a complete record upon which to decide the Appellant's claim.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, cerebrovascular accident (stroke), heart disorder, and lung disorder to include COPD and emphysema have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service or presumed exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's left knee instability due to torn ACL is restored to a 10% rating effective September 1, 2018. The ratings for coronary artery disease and degenerative joint disease of the right ankle are granted with effective dates of May 20, 2013.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that his heart condition did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from active duty and was not causally related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and upheld the reduction in rating for prostate cancer, both effective April 1, 2013.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for acquired psychiatric disorder, coronary artery disease (CAD), and sleep disorder.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to March 23, 2016 is granted at a 30 percent level. From March 23, 2016 onwards, the Veteran's increased rating for CAD is granted at a 60 percent level.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have made him in need of regular aid and attendance, which is granted for special monthly compensation.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and further development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he continues to operate his own bingo supply business and only missed one week of work in the past year. The evidence does not support a finding of marginal employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand directives and further development is necessary. The Veteran's peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities may be related to his service, but a clear rationale for this opinion must be provided.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and TDIU due to insufficient rationale in a previous VA opinion. The Veteran's heart condition claim is being reviewed again with an additional VA examination.

The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection of ischemic heart disease was denied. The Board also remanded several issues related to lumbar myofascial syndrome and associated radiculopathy.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus is dismissed as he withdrew his claim prior to the Board's decision.,His bilateral hearing loss remains at a 30 percent disability rating, which is the highest possible under the schedular criteria. No higher rating is warranted given the effective date of this award.,The Veteran’s claims for service connection for a heart condition, type II diabetes mellitus, and CKD are remanded due to outstanding private medical records from Dr. A.M. and Dr. P.L.,His claim for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is also remanded as it involves herbicide exposure, but the Veteran has not provided any relevant private treatment records.,The Veteran’s claim for service connection for CKD remains pending due to outstanding private medical records from Dr. A.M. and Dr. P.L.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and the relationship between service-connected conditions and the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for essential tremor of the bilateral upper extremities, but has remanded the issues of service connection for CAD and atrial fibrillation due to conflicting medical opinions.