Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction (ED), heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy are denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and an addendum medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease status post quadruple bypass graft is denied as there was no prior unadjudicated formal or informal claim of service connection for cardiac disability prior to October 3, 2003.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to their death, and no service connection issues were addressed.

The Board denied service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) and diabetes mellitus type II, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating prior to September 18, 2009 and therefore denied his claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) effective March 29, 2012. The CAD issue was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a heart disorder has been dismissed due to their passing away, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed with the case.

The Board has vacated its September 2020 decision denying a TDIU due to arteriosclerotic heart disease from January 28, 2014, to October 25, 2017. The Veteran's disability rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease was 60 percent at the time of the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for coronary artery disease and TDIU due to service-connected disability are being remanded as the evidence suggests a worsening of his condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including CAD, DM, PN of the lower extremities, and ED, do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). The appeal is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease and low back condition due to insufficient consideration of relevant evidence in the initial decision.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a single service-connected disability rated at 100 percent since October 1, 2013, and therefore, the criteria for SMC based on housebound status were not met.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating was denied, but the Board granted an increased disability rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease as of August 3, 2012. The decision is based on consistent LVEF measurements and documentation of left ventricular dysfunction.

The Veteran's death is attributed to coronary artery disease, which the Board has remanded for further development regarding exposure to Agent Orange during service.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, diabetes, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, coronary artery disease, and residuals of a cerebrovascular accident due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart disability, finding that there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after active service, and that any current conditions are not related to service.

The Board denied increased ratings for CAD, finding that the Veteran's condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of erectile dysfunction was reopened and granted. His rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) was restored to 60 percent effective August 1, 2014, but the reduction from 60 percent to 30 percent was found improper due to lack of proper procedural steps.