Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Board has remanded the claims for prostate cancer, headaches, obstructive sleep apnea, and stroke due to exposure to toxins at Fort Ord as there was a duty to assist error in obtaining adequate medical opinions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's sleep apnea is related to service and granted service connection. The heart disability issue, which may be related to hypertension, needs further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for a heart condition and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities because there was a pre-decisional error in not considering the potential impact of herbicide exposure on his heart conditions. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted as a presumptive condition due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.,Service connection for congestive heart failure with ventricular arrhythmia, heart block, valvular heart disease, supraventricular arrhythmia, and hypertensive heart disease is granted based on the presumption of service connection for diseases associated with herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates prior to August 10, 2022, for service connection were denied as there was no legal basis available due to the finality of previous denials and the liberalizing nature of the PACT Act.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected ventricular tachycardia (heart disability) is being remanded due to an inadequate February 2019 VA examination. The new examination must assess the current severity of his heart disability, including symptoms such as palpitations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for a heart condition and erectile dysfunction due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's heart condition is found to be at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected depression, but the examiner could not determine if it was aggravated by his service-connected conditions or medication. For erectile dysfunction, the Board finds that a VA examination should be scheduled to address whether it is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected depression and related disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from May 1, 2020. The Veteran has been rated at 80% disability due to his service-connected disabilities (prostate cancer and coronary artery disease). He is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a failure to consider both the service-connected coronary artery disease and potential diabetes mellitus in determining whether the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is related to his military service. The claim will be reviewed by a medical examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, a presumptive disability based on herbicide exposure in Vietnam, contributed substantially or materially to his cause of death. The benefit-of-the-doubt rule is applied, and the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes and heart disease were denied due to lack of evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides. The claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of September 14, 2018 for the award of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

A 60 percent disability rating for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction, inferior wall, with hyperlipidemia is granted from October 12, 2016, to the date of the Veteran's death.,A 60 percent disability rating for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction, inferior wall, with hyperlipidemia is granted from February 5, 2016, to October 11, 2016.,A 60 percent disability rating for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction, inferior wall, with hyperlipidemia is granted from January 1, 2016, to February 4, 2016.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating prior to January 1, 2016, was denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and medical opinions regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a heart disorder, with presumptive exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Board denied service connection for the claimed conditions, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and thus no basis to grant any of the claims.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and the Veteran seeks a higher disability rating. For the period prior to November 28, 2022, the Board has granted a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's heart condition is related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to confusion in the medical evidence and inconsistencies regarding the nature of the Veteran's conditions during active service. The issues include residuals of rheumatoid arthritis and polyarthralgia, a heart condition, and hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal regarding the reduction of his disability rating for ventricular tachycardia from 100 percent to noncompensable is being remanded due to procedural issues. No SOC has been issued, and a hearing was held but no testimony was taken.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and residuals of stroke are granted, while his claim for hepatic steatosis is denied. The decision also dismisses the Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of a stroke.