Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a heart disability, including coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation, finding no evidence that these conditions were related to his military service, specifically exposure to cold temperatures. The decision is based on medical opinions from VA examiners who reviewed the claims file and service treatment records.

The Veteran's heart disability, gout, and acquired psychiatric disorder were denied as not related to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection was not established for any of the claimed disabilities.

The Board dismissed all the issues on appeal, including service connection claims and rating appeals for various conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, including heart condition, diabetes, and back condition. The Veteran's service records need to be verified, as well as her exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability separate and distinct from cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, and sinus bradycardia. The evidence did not support finding that these conditions began during service or were related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives and incorrect standard used in a medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cold injury residuals and coronary artery disease (CAD) are denied as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected heart and psychiatric disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment since September 16, 2011. The Board has granted a TDIU effective from that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as depression and nervous disorder), and a disability manifested by blackout spells. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was granted, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (adjustment disorder with depression and anxiety) was also granted. The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea and its secondary effects on CAD is remanded.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from July 28, 2014. The heart disorder claim was denied as the evidence does not reach equipoise in support of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome is denied.,Claims for increased ratings for depression and ischemic heart disease are also denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent prior to September 25, 2019 and in excess of 60 percent thereafter.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for further examinations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations, as well as requests for private medical records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, chronic renal disease, and ischemic heart disease with hypertensive cardiovascular disease. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's OSA is granted as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,New and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for hypertensive heart disease, thrombosis, TIA, or cerebral infarction, and hypertension. The claims are remanded for further development.,Service connection for these conditions is granted based on new medical opinions linking them to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the submission of new and relevant evidence. The heart condition claim is also remanded as no nexus opinion has been obtained.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition, hypertension, and hypertensive heart disease were all evaluated at 30 percent prior to his death. The Board denied claims for increased ratings as the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of symptoms or treatment required.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to its inextricability with other claims, specifically the increased rating and earlier effective date for his coronary artery disease (CAD) and tinnitus. The decision on these related issues will be deferred until those matters are resolved under the AMA framework.