Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Board has determined that the development conducted does not comply with prior remands and additional VA medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to tend to basic functions of self-care and required the regular aid and attendance of another individual, leading to a grant of SMC based on aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to SMC at the housebound rate is moot due to the inclusion of this benefit.

The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for hepatitis is denied. The issues of hypertension, heart disability (secondary to hypertension), erectile dysfunction (secondary to hypertension), and gout are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia has been reopened and granted. The claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, eye disability, hypertension, and heart disability remain denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to verify potential asbestos exposure during service and obtain a medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's cause of death and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for skin cancer is denied as the evidence does not support a link between the condition and military service, including herbicide exposure.,Service connection for chronic kidney disease is denied as there is insufficient evidence linking the condition to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased level of special monthly compensation (SMC) is denied as he does not meet the criteria for SMC at the rate specified under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(r). The Veteran was previously granted SMC based on his need for regular aid and attendance due to multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's death was caused by end stage heart disease, which the Board finds may be related to his service-connected hypertension. The appeal is remanded for further development of records and consideration of exposure claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for headaches, heart disorder, hypertension, bilateral lung disorder, skeletal arthritis of the entire body, and diabetes mellitus type II due to insufficient etiology opinions. The Veteran's conditions are being reviewed again.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety and a heart condition due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran was not provided with a VA examination related to his anxiety claim, and the medical opinion regarding his heart condition is inadequate.

The Board has found the VA medical opinion to be inadequate for the purposes of readjudicating the Veteran's appeal and requires addendum medical opinions regarding whether his obesity was caused or aggravated by his service-connected disabilities, including any medications prescribed for such. The matter is therefore REMANDED.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents.,Service connection for skin cancer is denied as the evidence does not support a link between the condition and military service, including herbicide exposure.,Service connection for chronic kidney disease is denied as there is insufficient evidence linking the condition to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for arterioslerotic heart disease to include status post CABG (claimed as ischemic heart disease and heart attack), diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, diabetic nephropathy (claimed and rated as prostate stones), and a skin disability, to include chloracne are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction on a basis other than as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II for which service connection was granted pursuant to the PACT Act are also being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetic nephropathy (claimed and rated as prostate stones) is being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for arterioslerotic heart disease to include status post CABG, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and diabetic nephropathy (claimed and rated as prostate stones) are being granted on a basis other than as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II for which service connection was granted pursuant to the PACT Act.,The Veteran's service connection claim for skin disability, to include chloracne is being remanded due to the need for additional development.,The Veteran's service connection claims for arterioslerotic heart disease to include status post CABG (claimed as ischemic heart disease and heart attack), diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, diabetic nephropathy (claimed and rated as prostate stones), and a skin disability, to include chloracne are being granted on a basis other than as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II for which service connection was granted pursuant to the PACT Act.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for ischemic heart disease prior to May 13, 2021 was denied. A 30 percent rating is granted from May 13, 2021 to November 4, 2021.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hypertensive vascular disease. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service.,The VA examinations found no direct link between the Veteran's current diagnoses and his military service.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease and hypertension, finding that the current diagnoses were less likely than not related to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining a new medical opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was filed in response to the May 1, 2017, rating decision denying service connection for a heart condition. As such, the case is remanded for issuance of an SOC regarding the claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding private treatment records and an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between in-service hypertension and the Veteran's heart disorder.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU prior to May 1, 2012 was denied. The issue of an increased initial evaluation for his service-connected heart disabilities was remanded.,A TDIU is granted from October 4, 2019, to June 30, 2020, and from November 1, 2020, to the present.