Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals for higher ratings on ischemic heart disease and service connection for bilateral hearing loss have been withdrawn. The Board has remanded the claims for PTSD and TDIU prior to July 5, 2017.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to coronary artery disease due to inadequate medical opinions and missing records.

The Board has granted service connection for heart disease, including atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation, finding that the Veteran's current condition is causally related to his military service.

For the appeal period prior to April 8, 2012, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.,For the appeal period from December 17, 2020, the Veteran meets the criteria for special monthly compensation based on housebound criteria.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, requesting that his case be dismissed due to the withdrawal of his hearing request and issues on appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for atrial tachycardia, finding that it is caused by the Veteran's service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,Specifically, the VA examiner needs to consider recent EMG testing and address whether the Veteran's IHD and the coronary artery surgery where veins were harvested in his legs caused or aggravated the pain.

The Veteran's CAD condition warrants a rating in excess of 10 percent, and his TDIU claim is granted due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the Veteran's TDIU claim as moot from September 12, 2014 and denied it prior to that date due to lack of evidence showing he was unable to secure or follow gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including transient ischemic attack and hypertension, due to herbicide exposure. Additional development is needed to obtain relevant medical records and an addendum opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service, particularly considering the updated findings on Agent Orange exposure from the National Academy of Sciences.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease, based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty service at RTAFB Ubon in Thailand.

The Board has denied service connection for right and left knee disabilities, finding no evidence linking the conditions to service. Service connection for ischemic heart disease is remanded due to uncertainty regarding exposure in Vietnam.,Service connection remains denied for both knees as there is no credible evidence of a link between current knee disabilities and service.

The Veteran's death was caused by severe end-stage COPD with chronic ischemic heart disease, which is presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicides. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and dismissed the DIC claim as moot due to the grant of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and incomplete efforts to rebuild the claims file. The Veteran is asked to provide any copies of documents he received from VA prior to November 2011, specifically decisional documents.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for coronary artery disease has been denied.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for unspecified anxiety disorder is remanded and requires additional examination.

The Veteran's appeal was remanded due to the death of the appellant, and the need for a substitution determination. The claims will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (DMII) and coronary heart disease is granted.,Service connection for stroke residuals as secondary to DMII is granted. Service connection for loss of sense of smell and taste are denied.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and for ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current mental health condition or heart disability was related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) due to herbicide exposure, as the Veteran served in or near the DMZ during his service in Korea from June 1971 to August 1971. The claim is presumed under the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.307 and § 3.309(e).

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected vascular headaches and his hypertension.