Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, a heart disorder, and an eye disorder due to incomplete VA examinations and failure to comply with remand directives.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left knee and genitourinary disabilities. The heart disability claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and coronary artery disease, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from July 27, 2009, to July 9, 2018.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for kidney disease, heart condition, and stroke due to presumed exposure at Camp Lejeune. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding insufficient evidence of in-service injury or exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran was not found to have been exposed to herbicides during his service in Thailand and there is no credible evidence supporting physical presence in Vietnam or contact with herbicide agents.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral feet and remanded the issue of a compensable rating for CAD.

The Veteran's heart disorder, including coronary artery disease, is granted as service connected due to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, including those presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for OSA and CAD are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for hypertension is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and valvular heart disease, finding that there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The Board also found that the Veteran's valvular heart disease is not related to his military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's PTSD and CAD have been rated as 70 percent and 30 percent disabling, respectively. The appeal for increased ratings has been denied.

The Veteran's fourth nerve palsy of the left eye is granted as incurred in service. The Board also remanded for further examination and opinion regarding valvular heart disease, back disability, and right shoulder disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for CAD is granted, as his condition was factually ascertainable prior to October 4, 2012.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for his cause of death, finding that there is no probative medical evidence indicating that his congenital heart disease contributed to his death. The Board also found that Barlow's Syndrome did not contribute to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection remain in remand status and require further examination and opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and retrospective medical opinion considering the aggregate effect of all his service-connected disabilities on his employability. The issues are related to TDIU and an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for PTSD prior to December 19, 2019.

The Veteran's disability rating for coronary artery disease was restored to 60 percent effective March 21, 2013. Prior to this date, the rating had been reduced from 60 to 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a left ankle disability and heart disability due to inadequate development, including the need for VA examinations and additional private treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the cause of death and its relation to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his coronary artery disease was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent from May 1, 2018 through December 8, 2019 and for a rating greater than 30 percent from December 9, 2019 through May 7, 2020.