Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address whether the Veteran's vertigo is secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and idiopathic cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease and/or atrial fibrillation. The AOJ must obtain addendum medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition and a thoracolumbar spine disorder, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service. The appeal is denied for sleeping disorder and blood clots as there is no current disability found.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate disorder, heart disorder, and hypertension have been denied.,The Veteran's right knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder, sciatica, and respiratory disorder claims are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke), left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (LUE PN), and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (LLE PN). Service connection for heart disability, diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy (RLE PN), and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy (RUE PN) is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents, is dismissed because the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and ischemic heart disease are granted as service-connected. Diabetes mellitus, type II and cataracts (secondary to diabetes mellitus) are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding no evidence linking any of the claimed conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection for unspecified anxiety and depressive disorder, as well as coronary artery disease, is granted with effective dates of May 6, 2015, and February 2, 2017 respectively. However, a compensable rating for scars associated with coronary artery disease remains denied.

The Board has denied service connection for a head injury and remanded the issue of service connection for coronary artery disease, which is to be addressed with additional medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to December 27, 2019 and from April 1, 2020 to May 27, 2020. The Board denied the claim for TDIU.

The rating reduction for the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease status post bypass surgery (CAD) from 60 percent to 30 percent, effective September 1, 2018, was improper. The 60 percent rating is restored.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on four different conditions (acquired psychiatric disorder, heart condition, liver condition, and thyroid condition) have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted, with an effective date of March 7, 2013.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate medical opinions and inextricably intertwined with other claims. The TDIU claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease status post bypass grafting with scar was granted a rating of 60 percent prior to March 15, 2012 and a 100 percent thereafter. The Board found that the evidence supported these ratings based on the criteria for evaluating coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted due to herbicide exposure. The right eye disability claim and the rating claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart condition and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no new and material evidence to reopen the cases, and his conditions were not found to be related to military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to unclear dates of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran's periods of service need to be clarified, specifically regarding his myocardial infarction on September 16, 2001, and March 2003.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, finding insufficient evidence to link his current disability to service.