Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease and TDIU prior to January 28, 2013 have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal in March 2021.

The Board has granted a 100% disability rating for the Veteran's coronary artery disease, effective July 3, 2021. The evidence shows that the Veteran's condition worsened and met the criteria for a 100% rating from May 9, 2017.

The Board has remanded the claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates due to outstanding treatment records, including those from Dr. Miller.

The Board has remanded the case to determine when the Veteran's coronary artery disease first reached a severity level that would warrant a higher initial rating before January 12, 2017. The VA examiner is asked to provide an estimate of this date and address whether the Veteran suffered a myocardial infarction during the appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a heart disability, finding that there was no causal relationship between his current heart disabilities and his active service. The evidence did not show any chronic disease manifestation within one year post-service or to a compensable degree.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal in a written correspondence, thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for hypertension and heart disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for hypertension or a disability rating greater than 30 percent for heart disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a heart disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and bilateral knee arthritis are preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as per his statements and VA examination reports. The Board has remanded the case for further consideration of an extra-schedular TDIU award.

The Veteran's Ischemic Heart Disease was rated at a 60 percent level from January 25, 2018 to February 12, 2018. From April 1, 2014 to January 24, 2018 and from February 13, 2018 to November 11, 2019, the Veteran's Ischemic Heart Disease was rated at a 10 percent level.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to Agent Orange exposure, including for diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), enlarged prostate, Parkinson's Disease, ischemic heart disease, colon disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper extremities, sleep apnea, and erectile dysfunction. The AOJ is instructed to verify whether the Veteran served in an area near the Korean DMZ where herbicides were applied.

The Board denied service connection for heart disability, prostate cancer, and COPD. The right knee degenerative arthritis claim was granted with a separate rating for left knee strain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease (CAD), is proximately due to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As such, the claim for secondary service connection for a heart disability is granted.

The Veteran's lumbar spondylosis, radiculopathy of the right and left lower extremities, and right wrist strain have been remanded for further examination.,Service connection for vertigo with bilateral hearing loss is also remanded as the Veteran has provided new evidence since his last VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and Parkinson's disease, both presumed to be due to exposure to herbicide agents during the Veteran's in-country service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his coronary artery disease is remanded due to insufficient recent medical evidence and the need for a new examination.

The Board has ordered a remand for the VA to provide an addendum medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's heart condition is related to service, and if so, whether it is caused or aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disability (bipolar disorder with major depressive disorder).

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and disabilities have been dismissed due to their death.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and coronary artery disease were all granted service connection. The rating for the coronary artery disease was increased to 30 percent.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are granted as service-connected. The left foot disability is remanded for further examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected traumatic dislocation.