Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty about the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected hypertensive heart disease and his claimed vascular hypertension. The Veteran is seeking service connection for vascular hypertension, which he claims is related to contaminated water exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has remanded the cases of hypertension and valvular heart disease for further development due to inadequate VA opinions addressing whether these conditions are secondary to service-connected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD has been granted, with a 70 percent disability rating effective from the date of the decision. Additionally, his claim for TDIU has also been granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a disability evaluation in excess of 60 percent prior to July 8, 2022 for coronary artery disease.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition and hypertension, both presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and COPD are all found to be secondary to his service-connected asthma. However, the Veteran's hypertension is not established by the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to ischemic heart disease and hypertension, finding that there was no credible evidence of service in Vietnam or exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran's conditions were not deemed service-connected.

The Veteran's service connection claim for ischemic heart disease is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease due to exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.,The Veteran's claim for diabetes is denied as there is no current diagnosis of diabetes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims, including service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral cataracts due to exposure at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal. The claims for increased ratings for diabetic peripheral neuropathy, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin condition, and hyperthyroidism are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's heart conditions are related to his VA-prescribed medications and whether such is due to carelessness, negligence, or similar fault on VA's part.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that he is in need of such assistance.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and valvular heart disease with cardiomyopathy is granted. The Board found that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his service-connected hypertension.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, including coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic heart disease, is presumed to be related to his exposure to herbicide agents during service. His hypertension is also presumed to be related to his herbicide agent exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bladder cancer, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and prostate cancer. The evidence submitted since the June 2016 decision did not provide new or material information to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone cause him to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus grants entitlement to total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for stable angina was granted with an effective date of May 21, 2002. The rating decision that initially awarded the service connection is considered to have included a claim for ischemic heart disease (IHD), which is now presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. Other claims related to hypertension and peripheral neuropathy are still pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding herbicide exposure at Kadena Air Base. The Veteran's widow is seeking presumed service connection for his coronary artery disease and Parkinson's disease based on alleged herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling new VA examinations to determine if the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and heart disability are related to service or a service-connected condition.