Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's appeal for increased initial ratings for a heart disorder and scar has been dismissed due to their death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for CAD with a history of acute myocardial infarction status post stent placement from January 15, 2019 to February 23, 2022 has been dismissed.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss disability was denied as there is no evidence showing the Veteran experienced a current disability in service or within one year of separation. The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss did not meet VA criteria and thus could not be presumed to have originated from service.,The Veteran's appeal for an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for CAD with a history of acute myocardial infarction status post stent placement from February 24, 2022 was dismissed as the evidence did not show that the current disability was caused by or aggravated by service-connected conditions.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include depression and PTSD) is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to restore service connection for prostate adenocarcinoma and coronary artery disease, as well as his entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on loss of use of a creative organ. The original decisions that severed these benefits were found to be clearly erroneous due to new evidence supporting exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's seizure disorder was granted service connection as secondary to a pre-existing condition, while his heart disability claim was denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension and heart disease other than hypertension due to inadequate opinions in the February 2019 VA examination, and the need for additional development including verification of duty status periods.

The Board has determined that the Veteran likely had ischemic heart disease and/or coronary artery disease, which contributed to his sudden cardiac arrest and death. The evidence is in equipoise regarding this issue.

The Board found no evidence of diabetes, hypertension, or ischemic heart disease during service or within one year after separation. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicide agents while stationed at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines.

The appeal for higher rating of bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Veteran's claim for service connection for a concussion condition is denied, and his hypertension is granted with a 10% rating. The right lower extremity issue is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, Meniere's disease, diabetes, tendonitis of the right wrist, mild osteoarthritis of the left knee, and mild osteoarthritis of the right knee, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to November 6, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded all service connection claims for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including hyperlipidemia, temporal arteritis and giant cell arteritis with elevated sedimentation rate, headaches, coronary artery disease, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and eye disease. The appeal is based on exposure to aviation fuel during service.

The Board denied service connection for breast cancer with double mastectomy, heart disability secondary to breast cancer, tachycardia, left ventricular dysfunction secondary to breast cancer, surgical scarring (residual of breast cancer), lymph node removal (residual of breast cancer), loss of sensation on the right side (residual of breast cancer), and hysterectomy. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to service.,The Board also denied service connection for stroke, finding that there was no evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection related to high cholesterol, visual disability, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, prostate cancer residuals, and ischemic heart disease have been granted under the PACT Act. The claim for bilateral shoulder disability remains pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional medical opinions to address whether his hearing loss, tinnitus, heart disability, and right atrioventricular block are related to service. The issues remain inextricably intertwined.

The Board has found that remand is necessary due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's heart condition, hypertension, colon cancer, and scar tissue surgery. The AOJ must determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents or toxic chemicals during service and obtain new medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and proper documentation of attempts to schedule the Veteran for these exams.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from August 2, 2012 to September 20, 2017. SMC was granted for the same period due to his chronic kidney disease.

The Board has denied the claim that the Veteran's heart disability is secondary to his service-connected back and neck disabilities, as there was no competent medical evidence showing a causal relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and major depressive disorder with anxious distress and psychotic features was granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, chronic stage 4 kidney disease, heart disease, diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities, and diabetic neuropathy of the upper extremities were all denied.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is granted as of March 12, 2018. The effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension was March 11, 2022.

The Board has dismissed the appeals as moot because all requested service connection benefits have been granted in a previous decision.