Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination findings and a need for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for xerostomia, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease due to herbicide exposure. The VA is required to verify the Veteran's in-service exposure to Agent Orange at El Toro, California.

The Veteran was granted a 60% disability rating for ischemic heart disease (IHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) from August 31, 2012 to April 1, 2014. From April 1, 2014 until July 1, 2014, the Veteran was granted a staged disability rating of 100% for IHD due to myocardial infarction.,From July 1, 2014 onwards, the Veteran's disability rating for ischemic heart disease was denied as it did not meet the criteria for a higher than 10% rating.

The Veteran's rating for ischemic heart disease, to include coronary artery disease, is denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease (CAD) since December 1, 2017 was denied as the evidence did not show symptoms at a workload of 5 METs or less.

The Board denied the claim for TDIU prior to May 25, 2017 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not precluding substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was rated at 30 percent from November 29, 2018. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating as his disability did not reach the level of more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure in the past year or workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope.

The Board has remanded the claims for a rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD and TDIU, to include on an extraschedular basis. The Veteran's CAD disability is also being remanded due to lack of recent VA treatment records and examination.

The Veteran's PTSD prior to December 7, 2016 resulted in occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform occupational tasks. The Veteran’s CAD is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to additional development being needed, including obtaining medical opinions on obesity and sleep apnea. The issues of service connection are related to PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction was denied. The Veteran's appeal for a compensable disability rating for shell fragment wound, left upper arm is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, headaches, a psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder), fatigue and feeling winded and/or out of breath, sinusitis, left eye disability, and right eye disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in loss of use of both lower extremities, qualifying him for specially adapted housing and SMC based on the need for aid and attendance.,However, his appeal regarding financial assistance for automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only is remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a heart disability is denied, and his claims for increased ratings are all denied. The Board finds no evidence to support the Veteran's assertions of in-service exposure to herbicides or other incidents that would warrant presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's hearing acuity is not shown to be worse than Level I in either ear, warranting a 0 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss.,CAD was not shown to have been manifested by a workload of seven METs or less, with evidence of cardiac hypertrophy or dilatation on EKG, echocardiogram (ECG), or X-ray; left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 50 percent or less is also not shown. Therefore, the Veteran's CAD does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease, claimed as chest pain, is granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bladder cancer, coronary artery disease, emphysema, sleep apnea, and vascular diseases in the upper and lower extremities are remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records and need for further medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for cancer of the bladder is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claims for GERD and a heart disorder (claimed as ischemic heart disease) are denied, with no rating assigned. The PTSD claim remains pending.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted service connection. The issues of residuals of adrenal gland surgery and amyloidosis, hypertension, kidney failure, and heart disability are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD) is denied as the evidence does not support that he has had more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure in the past year, or workload of greater than 3 METs but not greater than 5 METs which results in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope, or; left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent to 50 percent.