Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the relationship of the Veteran's heart disabilities, including hypertension and valvular heart disease, to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The examiner is asked to provide a response on whether these conditions are related to service, proximately due to, or aggravated by his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's hypertension, CAD, and GERD have been remanded for further development due to the need for additional medical opinions on secondary service connection theories.,Service connection is being remanded for all three conditions as there are insufficient opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU prior to April 23, 2021 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and sustaining substantially gainful employment. The appeal for a TDIU after April 23, 2021 is denied as the combined disability rating is now at 100%.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is service-connected, but his ureteral cancer and throat disorder are not found to be related to service or any service-connected condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) has been dismissed.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, with the condition beginning during active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for an enlarged prostate, hypertension, heart condition, foot swelling, skin hypopigmentation, and a lumbar spine condition. The Veteran's current conditions are being reviewed to determine if they are related to his time in service.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding their etiology.,The Board found that there was not substantial compliance with prior remand directives, necessitating further development.

The Veteran's claims for heart disorder, lung disorder (COPD), and left shoulder disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to November 3, 2015 was granted. The Board found that the Veteran met the criteria for a 100 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 7005 for CAD for the entire appeals period prior to November 3, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart disorder, to include coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease, due to herbicide exposure. The claim for hypertension is remanded as there is insufficient evidence to establish its relationship with the Veteran's service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The heart disability issue is remanded for further development and medical opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD, coronary artery disease, hypertensive vascular disease, and GERD due to a lack of evidence supporting these conditions during his period of active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance, but he is entitled to special monthly compensation at the housebound rate from September 15, 2014.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral eye disorder, atrial fibrillation, and pulmonary disability due to issues with the adequacy of VA examinations and the need to obtain private treatment records. The Court also found that the Board failed to address whether the AOJ substantially complied with its September 2018 remand request to obtain private treatment records and whether the VA adequately informed the Veteran of why those records were not obtained.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease should be remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to February 25, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for coronary artery disease with dyspnea and chronic chest pain due to inadequate examination and lack of consideration of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service or a service-connected disability. The Veteran's left knee strain was remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to service.,Service connection for CAD was not established, while service connection for left knee strain remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease is denied. The claim for service connection for a thoracoabdominal aneurysm is granted, and the claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for chronic lymphocytic leukemia, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes mellitus, type 2 are all granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty in Thailand.