Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2021

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's ischemic stroke is related to his service-connected coronary artery disease or PTSD, and whether any residuals of the stroke are aggravated by these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disorder, neurological disorder, and skin disorder due to presumed herbicide exposure during service. The appeals are now pending with VA for further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and hypertension, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the secondary service connection claim.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the Veteran's heart conditions and their relationship to service, diabetes mellitus, and herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart condition (triple bypass surgery), left leg amputation, right leg amputation, kidney disease, and hypertension due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to conflicting medical opinions and lack of clear evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The cases of kidney stones, skin cancer (melanoma), and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded for additional development.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer as they are related to herbicide exposure due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's valvular heart disease is found to be proximately caused by and aggravated by his service-connected Hodgkin’s disease, which required radiation treatment. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on four different conditions have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions likely render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU rating.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and active duty service. The Veteran's diabetes was not shown in service or related to service, nor were his other conditions found to be secondary to his diabetes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from January 6, 2014 through March 14, 2020. Effective January 6, 2014, the Veteran was granted TDIU.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as to all claims due to the Veteran's death.

The Board has granted service connection for sinus bradycardia but has remanded the remaining heart conditions due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, back disability, and neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities have been dismissed as they were resolved by a prior rating decision.,The Veteran's claim for hypertension due to herbicide exposure has been granted.

The Board denied an initial disability rating in excess of 60 percent for arteriosclerotic heart disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft prior to December 9, 2020, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the criteria provided.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be service-connected, with an effective date of March 21, 2017.,An earlier effective date of March 21, 2017 for the 40 percent rating assigned for lumbosacral strain and discogenic disease is granted.,Service connection for a gastrointestinal disability (claimed as diverticulosis) is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for a prostate disability (claimed as prostate cancer) is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, allergic rhinitis, heart condition, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus are all remanded due to lack of evidence regarding their relationships with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for osteopenia is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.,Service connection for a cervical spine disability is remanded due to lack of evidence regarding its relationship with service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition(s), including as due to herbicide-agent exposure, has been reopened and is granted.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the current severity of his service-connected heart disability and whether it prevents him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.