Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction due to herbicide exposure are granted. The claim for a kidney disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to assess the severity and impact of the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease with stent, as well as provide a retrospective opinion regarding its severity throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, and he was granted a TDIU effective from December 27, 2018 to January 7, 2021. The Board referred the claim for a TDIU prior to December 27, 2018, to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, an acquired psychiatric disorder (likely PTSD), a right foot disability, coronary artery disease, and diabetes mellitus type II due to incomplete development. The RO must complete the directives set forth in the July 2022 Board remand.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during active service, specifically at the Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base in Thailand. The Board finds that this exposure meets the criteria for presumptive service connection under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's death was not considered to be due to service-connected conditions, and the claim for accrued benefits was denied as no application was filed within one year of his death or VA's receipt of an intent to file a claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, to include heart murmur and chest pains has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.,An effective date of January 8, 1997 is granted for the award of service connection for headaches.

The Board has remanded the case due to a duty to assist in determining if the Veteran's current conditions are related to his reported exposure to commercial herbicides during service.

The Veteran's median neuropathy of the left upper extremity is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's coronary artery disease is denied as not incurred or aggravated during a period of active service or ACDUTRA, and it was not caused by or aggravated by an injury incurred during a period of INACDUTRA.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded for further development to determine if it is related to his service-connected left hand disability and/or tinnitus.

The Board has ordered another remand for the Veteran's claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and tremors due to exposure at Fort McClellan. The examiner is instructed to provide an opinion on whether these conditions are related to his exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for acute kidney disease secondary to his service-connected CAD and for TDIU due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart condition and secondary service connection for hypertension due to inadquate reasoning provided by the VA examiner.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's appeal for diabetes mellitus and heart disability due to in-service high cholesterol, as there are unresolved issues regarding the onset of these conditions during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that there was no evidence of a formal or informal claim for service connection prior to October 18, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities for further development, including obtaining an examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's IHD disability has been rated at 100 percent since August 30, 2018. The Board is remanding the issue of service connection for hepatitis C.,Service connection for hepatitis C will be considered based on eligibility under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 or as secondary to service-connected IHD status post myocardial infarction and CABG, but no specific exposure basis has been provided.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's sleep apnea and whether it is related to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of PTSD and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and conducting new examinations.