Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and hypertensive vascular disease due to a request for a personal hearing.

The Veteran's appeals for various service-connected conditions have been dismissed due to their death.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a cardiac disorder, hypertension, and low back disability. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection or secondary service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder, COPD, and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities as secondary to his service-connected PTSD.,The Board also remanded several other issues including increased ratings for ankle disabilities and entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has reopened the previously denied claim for service connection for atrial fibrillation with heart condition and remanded it for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current nature and likely etiology of his heart disability. The Veteran's hypertension is also remanded for an updated VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion on the etiology of any heart disorder and whether it is caused or aggravated by service-connected diabetes mellitus and peripheral neuropathy.

The Veteran's Ischemic Heart Disease is rated at 100% from November 14, 2012 to October 24, 2017. The issue of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) from November 14, 2012 is dismissed as moot because the Veteran is already receiving a 100% schedular evaluation for his service-connected Ischemic Heart Disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability secondary to her bladder disability was reopened and granted.,Service connection for sleep apnea was denied as the evidence did not establish that it began during or is related to active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's death is related to his military service, including exposure to herbicide agents and/or his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, Type 2 NSTEMI Type 2: Myocardial necrosis due to supply-demand mismatch, secondary to congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation (AFib), pericardial effusion, and bi-atrial enlargement. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically PTSD, is remanded. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the service connection claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for a heart condition should be remanded to verify his exposure to herbicide agents during his service aboard the USS Lyman K. Swenson from December 1968 to January 1969, as this could potentially qualify him for presumptive service connection under VA regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus type II, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during military service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's initial 100% rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted during the period prior to April 27, 2017.,The Veteran's increased ratings for CAD are denied from April 27, 2017 to November 13, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes, arthritis, heart disorder, gall bladder disorder, colon cancer, and kidney disorder. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence showing a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and renal insufficiency is being remanded due to the need for further development.,Service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of current disability.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and angina, finding that the Veteran's chest pain in service was at least as likely as not caused by undiagnosed angina during military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records related to the Veteran's service in Thailand and Vietnam, as well as VA treatment records. The claims for heart condition, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, temporary 100 percent rating based on hospitalization, special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance/housebound status, and TDIU are also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for back disability, right knee disability, heart disorder (claimed as abnormal heart rhythm), and headaches due to incomplete records. The RO is instructed to attempt to obtain all relevant service personnel and medical records from the Massachusetts National Guard.