Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease has prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment for the entirety of the appeal period, which is now granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including knee disabilities, asthma, COPD, heart disability, hypertension, and carpal tunnel syndromes are all denied.,There is no evidence of any in-service injury or disease that could be linked to the current conditions.

The Veteran's initial rating for CAD prior to November 13, 2015 is denied as his condition did not warrant a higher than 10 percent rating. The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent since January 14, 2014 and the Board finds no basis for an increased rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for ischemic heart disease and granted his claims for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The claims for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and hypertension are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for kidney and heart disabilities due to herbicide exposure, as there is insufficient information provided by the Veteran regarding his non-VA medical records. The Veteran must provide names of his non-VA treatment providers or their medical release forms.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and ischemic heart disease (including coronary artery disease and coronary atherosclerosis), as well as peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, all presumed due to herbicide exposure during service. The appeal regarding cataracts, retinopathy, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-skin cancer and heart condition are not service-connected, with the exception of a remanded issue regarding his heart condition. The claim for pre-skin cancer is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service, while the heart condition claim requires additional development including obtaining relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and heart disease due to insufficient rationale in previous VA examinations, and a need for additional development including new medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for coronary artery disease has been granted, with the effective date set at September 16, 2015.,Service connection for skin cancer is granted based on herbicide exposure during active service.,Service connection for scars secondary to service-connected skin cancer is also granted.,Increased ratings for a cervical spine strain are remanded for further examination and rating determination.,The Veteran's current 20 percent rating for the period following May 7, 2018, remains unchanged.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 50% rating, CAD is granted a 10% rating for scars and denied higher ratings. Bilateral hearing loss service connection is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions, including blindness, glaucoma, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, shoulder pain, elbow and wrist swelling, toe numbness, leg numbness, jaw joint pain, hip joint swelling, knee and ankle pain, bilateral pes planus, foot bunions, rib fracture discomfort, hand weakness, left hand swelling, tonsillitis, dizzy spells, fatigue, pharyngitis, allergy disorder, breathing disorder, sleep apnea, heart condition, ulcer, gastritis, gastrointestinal problems, GERD, kidney disorder, lipoma, obesity, arm numbness and pain, and finger numbness. The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.,The Veteran's TBI claim is also denied as there was no in-service head injury or related condition.

The Veteran's death is not considered to be due to a service-connected disability, as the criteria for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 are not met. The cause of death is remanded for further review.

The appeal with respect to the issues of entitlement to service connection for various conditions is dismissed.

The Veteran's appeals for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and TDIU were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his active service in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the claims for diabetes mellitus and heart disability due to in-service high cholesterol as there were insufficient efforts made to obtain the Veteran's service records, including travel records. Additionally, a new medical opinion is needed regarding the relationship between the conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure during active duty in Thailand.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for arteriosclerotic heart disease and bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for either condition.

The Board has denied service connection for heart disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and left eye disability as these conditions are not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and bilateral foot disorder due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's heart condition is being reviewed again, including considering his medications and prior diagnoses, while the bilateral foot disorder claim requires an opinion addressing the Veteran's lay statements.