Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues, including service connection for a psychiatric condition other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, and hypertension. The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided are inadequate to address these claims.,Specifically, the examination reports do not provide sufficient rationale regarding whether the Veteran’s current conditions are related to his military service or if they were aggravated by any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient medical evidence and conflicting opinions regarding his claimed disabilities. The VA is instructed to obtain all relevant records, including SSA records, and provide additional medical opinions on the origin of his heart disabilities and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's heart disorder was related to his service-connected asbestosis. The Board granted service connection for the heart disorder on secondary basis and denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for asbestosis.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's claims, including those for PTSD and other conditions, due to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, is not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a chronic heart disorder and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to procedural errors, including failing to address arguments regarding a Privacy Request raised by the Veteran’s representative. The claims are now pending for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and residuals of ingrown left toenail did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease, finding that it was not incurred or aggravated by service and is unrelated to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's initial rating for heart disease is denied, but he is granted a TDIU effective from March 14, 2017.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for higher ratings of heart disability and glaucoma with ocular hypertension due to the death of the appellant.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, to include as secondary to herbicide exposure.,The Board also denied service connection for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), to include as a residual of service-connected prostate cancer.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and type II diabetes mellitus have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II were found to be contributing factors in his death, with the Board finding that they constituted a principal cause of death. The appeal is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated as 10 percent prior to March 27, 2018 and 60 percent from November 19, 2020 onwards.,Heart condition service connection is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment from August 25, 2006 to March 20, 2009.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating at any point during the period of appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease as secondary to a service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder. The claims of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD), Type II diabetes mellitus, liver disorder, and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Veteran's initial increased rating for coronary artery disease from October 1, 2013 to June 11, 2014 was granted at a 10 percent rating. From June 11, 2014 to September 30, 2014, the Veteran received an initial 30 percent rating for coronary artery disease. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease from September 30, 2014 to January 17, 2018 was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastrointestinal disability, heart disability, hypertension, and GERD due to incomplete medical opinions provided in previous examinations.