Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete efforts to obtain private medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service at U-Tapao Royal Thai Airforce Base in Thailand is presumed. The decision also notes that the Veteran worked on or near the perimeter of the base for approximately six months.

The Board has remanded the claim for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for coronary artery disease, to include as secondary to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's heart condition, including early repolarization and its relation to service-connected sarcoidosis.

The Veteran's cause of death was cardiac arrest due to chronic hypertension. The appellant contends the Veteran traveled to Vietnam and was presumptively exposed to Agent Orange, which would make his coronary artery disease service-connected. However, the Board found that the USS Constellation did not traverse within 12 nautical miles of Vietnamese waters during the Veteran's deployment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in a TDIU rating from August 9, 2012. The case is remanded for consideration of an extraschedular evaluation prior to this date.

The Board has accepted the Veteran's legacy NOD as timely and remanded for development, including issuance of an SOC. The issues of higher ratings for coronary artery disease, migraine headaches, and diabetes mellitus type II are now before the Board.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has decided that further development is necessary before the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and prostate cancer as a result of exposure to herbicide agents can be adjudicated. The VA will need to obtain authorization and request private treatment records from St. Luke's Medical Center, Dr. S.M., Dr. J.T., Dr. C.L., and Dr. J.S. Additionally, efforts should be made to verify whether the USS Intrepid operated within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam during the Veteran's service.

The Board has found that further development is required due to the need for a remand. The Veteran's heart disability claim, which was previously denied, is now being reviewed again as there are new medical opinions and additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's hypertension is secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus and/or ISHD. The case will be returned for a new medical opinion addressing these issues.

The Board has determined that the reduction from a 100% to a 60% disability rating for service-connected coronary artery disease was proper, as there is evidence of improvement in the Veteran's ability to function under ordinary conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart condition, skin cancer, RLS, and bilateral hand skin condition due to potential service connection issues related to environmental exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding no current diagnosis and not related to his military service.

The Board denied a revision of the 10 percent rating assigned for coronary heart disease beginning March 1, 2013, finding no clear and unmistakable error.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found no new and relevant evidence to reopen the claim of bilateral hearing loss, as it did not meet the criteria for presumptive exposure to herbicides or Agent Orange. For coronary artery disease, there was no in-service diagnosis or identification, and the Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate any manifestation of the condition within one year of separation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient information regarding the cause of death, specifically whether 'severe aortic stenosis' is related to bacterial endocarditis or another condition. The examiner must provide an addendum addressing this issue.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) status post CABG was denied from October 1, 2012 to August 18, 2013.,A 60 percent rating, but no higher, was granted for CAD status post CABG from August 19, 2013 to October 30, 2019. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating in excess of 10 percent was denied from October 31, 2019.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including coronary artery disease (CAD), chronic ischemic heart disease, and cardiac arrhythmia, unspecified. The evidence shows current diagnoses of these conditions, with an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence as to whether they manifested during service.

New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection of various disabilities, including neck disability (cervical spine degenerative disc disease), lumbar spine condition, left elbow condition, right elbow condition, left hand numbness disability, right hand numbness disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, and ischemic heart disease (IHD).