Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, prostate cancer residuals, and coronary artery disease, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral dry eye syndrome is granted with a 20% initial disability rating, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and heart disability due to potential service connection issues. The Veteran's left and right carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) are denied as there is no evidence of in-service or post-service etiology.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to the failure of VA to obtain necessary medical opinions as per previous remands. The Veteran's right knee and ankle disabilities, as well as his heart disorder, are being reviewed again.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability and prostate disability, finding no current disabilities were present at the time of appeal.,Service connection was also denied for Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a low-energy disability, and thus denied service connection for this condition. The diabetes mellitus claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset during active duty or its relationship to hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for GERD and initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for CAD prior to February 25, 2013.,A TDIU from March 28, 2011, was granted. The Veteran's eligibility for a TDIU is based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of rheumatic fever and hypertension/hypertensive heart disease, as secondary to or aggravated by mitral regurgitation due to inadequate development. The VA examiner is required to provide opinions on whether the Veteran's conditions are related to his mitral regurgitation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypothyroidism and a heart disability, both of which are presumed to be due to in-service exposure to toxins while serving in the Persian Gulf. The AOJ is directed to obtain updated medical opinions addressing these issues based on the Veteran's lay statements regarding symptoms during active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) with cardiomyopathy was granted effective December 9, 2004. The earliest clinical evidence of CAD and/or ischemic heart disease is September 2003.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to November 12, 2009, for service-connected ischemic heart disease has been denied.,The Board has also remanded the Veteran's claims regarding his bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy and his service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a blood disorder (anemia and myeloproliferative disorder (Jak 2+)), and a heart condition (atrial flutter and fibrillation) have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, claimed as ischemic heart disease, is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there was no in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is granted as secondary to his hepatitis.,The Veteran's HIV is denied as not being related to his service or connected to his hepatitis.

The Veteran's left arm radiculopathy is found to be secondary to her service-connected cervical spine disorder.,Other claims are remanded for further development and consideration.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other factors linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, finding that his disability is manifested by the ability to perform a workload of greater than 5 metabolic equivalents METs before such results in dyspnea/breathlessness, syncope, and fatigue, without acute or chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) or left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of less than 50 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and PTSD due to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's service in Vietnam is not confirmed, and further verification is required.

The Veteran's bladder cancer and heart disability are granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides. Service connection for BPH is remanded.

The Veteran is granted a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.