Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for gastrointestinal disorder, low testosterone, and trivial tricuspid valve regurgitation (valvular heart disease) due to Gulf War illness. The Veteran's complaints of these conditions have been related to environmental exposures during his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease as secondary to Type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity as secondary to Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity have been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment since April 8, 2017. The effective date for the grant of TDIU is set at April 8, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various conditions are being remanded due to a failure to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for various conditions are being remanded due to a failure to obtain Social Security Administration (SSA) records.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange, during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left hip disability and increased rating for a scar of the left upper extremity has been withdrawn.,Service connection for sinus condition, OSA, and acquired mental health condition including PTSD have been denied. The Veteran is granted an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss but not higher than 50 percent for his acquired mental health condition.,The Veteran's right knee and left knee scars are rated at 20 percent each, with no higher ratings due to lack of chronic residuals. Service connection for heart condition, erectile dysfunction, skin condition (trichophytosis/eczema/fungus), and TDIU is remanded.,Service connection for a heart condition, erectile dysfunction, skin condition, left shoulder rotator cuff tear, right shoulder degenerative arthritis and tear of subscapularis, and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for skin cancer lesion residuals, COPD, and solitary pulmonary nodule are being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.,An additional VA examination is needed to determine the relationship between these conditions and active service, specifically herbicide exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, acute, subacute, or old myocardial infarction, and stable angina status post coronary artery bypass graft due to herbicide agent exposure. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, also due to herbicide agent exposure, is granted.

The Board denied DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 and service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to lack of evidence linking the causes of death to active service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of October 11, 2016 for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease was granted. The issues of TDIU and DEA benefits prior to January 7, 2020 are still pending.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease status post myocardial infarction was not productive of a workload of 5.0 or less METs resulting in heart failure symptoms during the period on appeal, and thus he is denied an initial rating higher than 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating issues due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination. The appellant is seeking service connection for schizophrenia, a heart condition, a lung condition, hypertension, PTSD, and TDIU.

The Veteran's entitlement to a rating greater than 60 percent for her coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted, effective March 13, 2013. The appeal for TDIU is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a 100% rating for CAD.

The Board denied the appeal as a timely notice of disagreement was not filed within one year of the September 28, 2015 rating decision regarding an earlier effective date for the grant of a 100 percent disability rating for heart disorder and Dependents' Educational Assistance.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to higher ratings for his service-connected coronary artery disease and for service connection for a right shoulder condition and an acquired psychiatric condition. The issues are being remanded due to conflicting medical opinions and the need for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a skin condition and heart disability including coronary artery disease and aortic stenosis were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of a skin condition, and the VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's aortic stenosis was not related to herbicide agent exposure or active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and heart disability are service-connected, but a higher rating is denied. The TDIU claim is granted.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea is remanded as the VA examination report did not address its relationship to active service.

The Board has denied service connection for heart disease and diabetes mellitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.