Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2022

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service at RTAFB Nakhon Phanom in Thailand. The PACT Act of 2022 expanded the presumptions for herbicide agent exposure, making him eligible for this presumption.

The Board has identified errors in the duty to assist and remands the claims for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for atrial fibrillation, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and sleep apnea as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for ischemic heart disease prior to September 24, 2019 and granted a 60 percent rating from September 19, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and TDIU as there was no evidence to support that his current conditions began during active service or were related to any in-service injury, event, or disease. The Veteran is not service connected for any disabilities.

Service connection for scleroderma is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptoms after service is not shown.,Service connection for heart disability (coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction) is granted based on in-service chemical and toxin exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected arrhythmia was granted a staged initial disability rating of 30 percent from November 22, 2019. The TDIU was also granted for the same period.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding whether the Veteran's left femoral artery bypass graft is proximately due to, the result of, or caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, and/or (general) circulatory condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination, as the current evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's heart disorder, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the issue of an increased rating for PTSD. The issues of service connection for a heart disorder and for the cause of the Veteran's death are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder caused or aggravated his current heart conditions, including hyperlipidemia, high cholesterol, hypertension, and coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate VA opinions and potential health issues preventing in-person examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension due to herbicide agent exposure are granted. The Board also remanded the remaining issues of service connection for right lower extremity neuropathy, left lower extremity neuropathy, right leg rash, left leg rash, obstructive sleep apnea, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and surgical chest scars were denied. The Veteran was awarded a 30 percent rating for his coronary artery disease prior to February 26, 2020, but the Board found that this rating is not higher than what is warranted based on the evidence of record. For the period beginning February 26, 2020, the Veteran's claim was denied as well. The Veteran's surgical chest scars were also rated as non-compensable.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and examination due to lack of recent VA treatment records, need for a new VA examination to assess current severity of service-connected conditions, and need for an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's polymyalgia rheumatica is related to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding the Veteran's hypertensive heart disease with left ventricular hypertrophy, which was not addressed in the previous VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to July 2, 2016, finding that he was not working full-time and therefore did not meet the criteria for TDIU.

Service connection for a heart condition (to include hypertension) and skin conditions are granted. Service connection for right upper extremity radiculopathy is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a back disability, finding no in-service occurrence and insufficient evidence linking the current condition to herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for ischemic heart disease was dismissed as the benefits were already granted through his existing hypertensive cardiovascular disease rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion and a failure to consider whether the Veteran's coronary artery disease contributed to his death.