Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Board has denied service connection for anxiety and mood swings, PTSD, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, heart disorder, erectile dysfunction, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), sinusitis and rhinitis, right eye cataracts, left eye cataracts, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder. The Board found no in-service psychological injury or event leading to the current disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including prostate cancer, CAD, left and right knee disabilities, and psychiatric disorder, prevented him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation as of May 24, 2022. The Board granted the TDIU claim effective from that date.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for lymphoma leukemia and a heart disability, to include a heart attack, are denied.,Service connection for hypertension is granted on a presumptive basis under the PACT Act.

Service connection for hypertension is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during service. Service connection for heart disorder and skin disorder are denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to errors in previous decisions and a need for additional assistance from VA.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, left knee patellofemoral syndrome, and hypertension are all rated at their current levels. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation as of May 24, 2022. The Board granted the TDIU claim with an effective date of November 29, 2022.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show his hearing acuity to be higher than Level V in either ear.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) was also denied because the evidence did not meet the criteria for such a rating.

The Board has granted earlier effective dates for the service connection of coronary artery disease, surgical scar on left forearm, and other surgical scars associated with herbicide exposure. The effective dates are April 10, 2018 for coronary artery disease and October 5, 2018 for the surgical scars.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his cause of death, specifically related to herbicide exposure. The claim will be reconsidered with this information.

The Veteran's CAD rating was restored to 60 percent effective October 1, 2023.,A disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus is granted.,A disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity is denied.,A disability rating higher than 20 percent for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease but granted service connection for Hypertension, which is associated with herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's claim for IHD remains pending.

The Board has remanded three issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions: a higher rating for CAD prior to May 16, 2023; a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 30, 2023; and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss since March 30, 2023. The Board requested additional development of the Veteran's medical records.

The Veteran's initial rating for service-connected ischemic heart disease was granted at a 30 percent level from May 28, 2014, to June 27, 2019.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 30 percent rating for coronary artery disease was denied as his appeal did not meet the requirements to establish an earlier effective date.,Claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for right calf scars and right elbow bursitis were also denied due to lack of evidence showing they arose prior to the dates granted.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that neither atherosclerotic heart disease nor chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were service-connected at the time of his death and thus did not contribute to his death.

The Veteran's heart disability, specifically coronary artery disease (CAD), was rated at 30 percent prior to September 25, 2019. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on workload or left ventricular dysfunction.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board found that there was no exposure to herbicides or other chemicals during service that could be linked to the development of CAD and DM.

The Board has remanded the claims due to new evidence being added since the last decision, and the appellant is proceeding pro se.