Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes and heart disease, make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected conditions of acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction with coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination report, requiring an addendum opinion from a suitably qualified health care professional.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation consistent with his education and work history, warranting a TDIU on an extra-schedular basis.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric condition is granted as secondary to his service-connected orthopedic conditions. Various issues of service connection and disability ratings are also granted or remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and his IHD was initially rated at 10 percent prior to July 23, 2015, and increased to 60 percent thereafter. The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding METs levels prior to July 23, 2015.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and to clarify his reported in-service hospitalization. The claims for service connection are therefore being remanded.

The claims for service connection for OSA, heart disease, left knee disability, and right hip disability have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Board has determined that additional medical examinations are needed as the current state of the Veteran's disabilities is not reflected in the existing records.,The Veteran’s testimony at his hearing indicates he may be related to service-connected PTSD for OSA and right foot injury, and secondary service connection claims need to be evaluated.

The Board denied a higher rating for coronary artery disease prior to June 12, 2013 and denied an earlier effective date for Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits prior to that date.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus with peripheral neuropathy, prostate cancer residuals, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his physical limitations.

The Veteran's claimed conditions, including ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, respiratory disorder, and sleep apnea, were not found to be service-connected. The Board determined that the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches and asbestosis (claimed as lung cancer), but denied all other claims, including those related to heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, seizure disorder, stroke, and dementia due to herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection for hyperlipemia was also denied.

The Veteran's initial evaluation for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted at a 60% rating throughout the appeal period. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted an increased evaluation of 20% from June 11, 2018.

The Board has remanded both the claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease and the TDIU claim due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling an examination.

The Board denied service connection for a cardiac condition, including arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease), and pericarditis due to the lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's medical emergency for his service-connected coronary artery disease did not end until December 4, 2017. Payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred from November 29 to December 4, 2017, at Aurora BayCare Medical Center (ABCMC) is granted.

The appeal for service connection for a heart disability is dismissed as the benefit has been granted. The claim for service connection for neurological symptoms and muscle pain of the upper extremities is denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and other conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation at all times during the appeal period, leading to a TDIU from August 31, 2010 to March 1, 2018. The Board has remanded his claim for an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and heart disorder, finding that the conditions did not manifest during periods of active duty or were not aggravated by such service.

The Board has remanded the claims for a disability evaluation and SMC at the housebound rate due to an inadequate May 2015 VA examination. The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease status-post stent placement must be re-evaluated.