Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease due to potential issues with the sufficiency of the medical opinions provided and the need to verify the Veteran's service in Vietnam. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable or unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The appeal for service connection claims related to a respiratory disorder, chronic right knee disability, and bilateral shin splints are dismissed. The Veteran's heart disorder and acquired psychiatric disorder claims are remanded. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives, specifically regarding a VA medical opinion on whether the Veteran's heart conditions are aggravated by service and if they are related to her service-connected asthma.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU entitlement, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining gainful employment prior to October 3, 2013.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, hypertension, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while serving in Korea, flying in and out of the DMZ as a medical specialist.

The Veteran's CAD was granted a rating of 60 percent from February 14, 2018 to May 14, 2018. From May 15, 2018 onwards, the claim for an increased rating is denied. The TDIU claim is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy with CTS of the upper extremities and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to November 17, 2022.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition, including right bundle branch block, finding that the Veteran's condition began during his military service and is not a congenital defect or disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including nonischemic heart disease, AICD, status post myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation, as these conditions are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the current heart disabilities to his in-service injuries.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claim of a higher initial evaluation for his service-connected coronary artery disease. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability or active duty service, including in-service complaints of dyspnea, to his cause of death. The appellant is asked to provide any additional medical records and a VA clinician will be requested to provide an opinion on whether there is a relationship between the Veteran's depression and his coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for an addendum VA medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, asthma, COPD, radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities, prostate cancer, and CAD.,Service connection was not granted for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's cause of death, multi-system organ failure following a heart transplant, was found to be related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease, which the Board determined was caused by his in-service asbestos exposure. The appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and therefore denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, is remanded. The Board notes that the Veteran has a history of heart treatment and a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. A medical opinion is needed regarding whether his diagnosed heart disability is at least as likely as not related to his presumed herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange exposure while stationed in Thailand. The appellant is seeking presumptive service connection based on her husband's alleged exposure to herbicides during his military service.