Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for heart condition, seizure disorder, sleep apnea, and headaches due to insufficient evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development, including scheduling of an EKG and echocardiogram. The Veteran's heart condition is being evaluated for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease prior to October 21, 2014 is denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating higher than 30 percent due to the lack of sufficient objective findings during the period in question.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is not unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected CAD prior to July 19, 2019.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no effective date is assigned as the claim was not decided.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that there was no medical evidence linking his heart disabilities to his military service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, heart disability as secondary to hypertension, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to hypertension due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's CAD is rated at 60 percent, and hypertension does not warrant a compensable rating.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, to include as secondary to service-connected CAD and/or hypertension, is remanded due to inadequate opinion regarding causation and aggravation.,A VA medical opinion is needed to address the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and to obtain medical opinions regarding service connection for heart disorder, sleep apnea, and respiratory disorders. The issues are being remanded due to inadequate previous VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was denied prior to September 8, 2017. From September 8, 2017, to September 19, 2019, the Veteran received a 30 percent rating.,Since September 19, 2019, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating has been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of his prostate cancer and other conditions. The issues include service connection for various disabilities, including prostate cancer, hypertrophy of the breast, high blood pressure, residuals from paralysis of the fourth cranial nerve, HIV, heart disability, sleep disorder, arthritis, and bone and cartilage disability.

The Board has found that the Veteran's Alzheimer’s disease is not related to service and denied his claim.,The Board also found no evidence of bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure and denied his claim for this condition.,For the remaining conditions, including bilateral upper and lower diabetic neuropathy, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, psoriasis, kidney condition, coronary artery disease, Bell's Palsy, and prostate cancer, additional development is required as no medical nexus opinions have been provided.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as service-connected and aggravated by his diabetic nephropathy. The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating in excess of 70% for PTSD has been withdrawn. Issues related to a left thigh skin disability, PFB, bilateral hearing loss, CAD, right knee strain with instability, cortical cataracts, SMC based on loss of use, and TDIU prior to March 9, 2006 are all remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection for valvular heart disease claimed as ischemic heart disease, including clarification of any presumptive conditions related to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to pulmonary tuberculosis, which was at least as likely as not related to his military service. The Veteran died in July 1971 from internal hemorrhage due to pulmonary tuberculosis and coronary heart disease.

The Veteran requested withdrawal of all appeals related to his claims for increased ratings and service connection. The Board has dismissed these appeals as the Veteran explicitly requested their withdrawal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease are remanded due to potential errors in the initial decision.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied as his service-connected conditions do not render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal of his initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Board has remanded the remaining issues due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased disability rating and TDIU due to insufficient evidence regarding his coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure. The case will be returned for further review after obtaining additional medical records and opinions.