Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The claims for service connection for acquired psychiatric disability, foot disability (claimed as blisters or blood poison), respiratory disability (COPD), diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiac/heart disability, right lower extremity PVD, left lower extremity PVD, right lower extremity DVT, left lower extremity DVT, embolism, cellulitis, right ulnar peripheral neuropathy, and left ulnar peripheral neuropathy have been granted. The claims for service connection for right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, back/spine disability, and left eye disability are still pending.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increase in the ratings assigned for coronary artery disease, so the Board has dismissed this matter.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's heart conditions are directly related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service at U-Tapao Royal Thai Air Force Base.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents, specifically C-123 and C-141 aircraft. The VA is required to verify these exposures through unit records.

The Board has restored a 30% evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) effective December 1, 2015 after finding that the reduction from 30% to 10% was not proper.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease/old myocardial infarction, finding that the claim was received on June 16, 2017 and no prior informal claims were submitted.

The Veteran's hypertension, coronary artery disease, and headache disorder are granted as secondary to his service-connected mental health condition. Effective April 19, 2017, the Veteran is assigned a disability rating of 70 percent for his service-connected unspecified trauma-related disorder with adjustment disorder with anxious and depressed mood.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hypothyroidism is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for heart disorder remains denied as there is no established link between the condition and service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, type II diabetes mellitus (diabetes), and coronary artery disease are granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB in Thailand.

The Board denied service connection for breast cancer, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's breast cancer is presumed to be related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, but the VA examiner found no causal link.,Coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus are not connected to active service or exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinions obtained after the most recent remand are inadequate and the claims must be remanded again for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (Coronary artery disease and Post-traumatic stress disorder) have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, thus granting a TDIU for the entire period on appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient examination opinions and failure to comply with prior remand instructions regarding service connection for sleep apnea secondary to hypertension, coronary artery disease, and major depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder was dismissed. The previously denied claim of hypertension was reopened and granted a 50% evaluation. The initial evaluation for depressive disorder was granted at 50%. Other claims were remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for a heart disorder, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's in-service exposure to ionizing radiation and his current condition.,The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for colorectal cancer with colon resection, metastatic liver cancer, lung cancer, COPD, and constrictive bronchiolitis due to potential non-ionizing radiation exposure during military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hypertension was dismissed due to their passing away during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has decided that service connection for high cholesterol is denied. The issues of service connection for strokes, diabetes mellitus, type II, myocardial infarctions, hypertension, and coronary artery disease are remanded.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis effective September 1, 2013 due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, was rated at 20 percent and his coronary artery disease was rated at 10 percent. The Board denied both claims for higher ratings.