Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment consistent with his education, training, and work experience.,Effective October 19, 2018, the criteria for a TDIU are met.

Service connection is denied for hearing loss in the left ear, a respiratory disorder, restless leg syndrome, a heart disorder, and a left shoulder disability.,An initial rating in excess of 20 percent for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is denied.

The Veteran's bladder cancer is related to his military service and granted. The issues of heart disability, diabetes mellitus, neck disability, and hypertension are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The claims for increased ratings of right knee instability and painful scar status post right tibia and fibula repair, as well as the initial compensable rating for coronary artery disease, are dismissed due to finality of the March 2023 decision.,The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease is granted based on a concession of exposure to herbicide agents in Guam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bladder cancer was granted. The heart disability claim is remanded for readjudication on the merits. Service connection for thyroid disability is granted based on herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease was granted, with the effective date being May 10, 2020. The current disability rating is set at 60 percent.

The Veteran's initial claim for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was granted with an initial 30 percent disability rating, effective from September 18, 2019, to December 9, 2019. The appeal is denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a VA medical opinion regarding potential toxic exposure (TERA) and its relation to the Veteran's heart disability. The PACT Act requires this additional examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been reopened, but the Board has determined that further development is necessary before these claims can be adjudicated.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since March 30, 2020. The Board has granted a TDIU for this period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart disability other than supraventricular arrythmia, as secondary to his service-connected supraventricular arrhythmia. The VA examiner concluded that there is no relationship between the service-connected condition (supraventricular arrhythmia) and the claimed conditions (hypertension and hypertensive heart disease).

The appeal is granted as the service connection for a heart disability was improperly severed and restored, along with related benefits. An earlier effective date of May 2, 2018 is also granted.

The Board has granted an effective date of August 7, 2009 for the award of service connection for cause of death due to ischemic heart disease, which was associated with the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Appellant is a Nehmer class member and her claim was received after May 3, 1989 but before August 31, 2010 when ischemic heart disease became presumptively service-connected due to herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for osteoarthritis, increased ratings for hypertension and hypothyroidism, and a higher rating for arteriosclerotic heart disease.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents, specifically Agent Orange, during his active duty service at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base. The effective date of this decision is not specified as it is based on the PACT Act.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the claims for service connection were not adjudicated.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and its impact on his employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease and neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities due to inadequate examinations. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and anxiety disorder/ depression as secondary to his service-connected insomnia. The VA examiners found no causative link between the service-connected insomnia and the Veteran's CAD with history of heart attack.