Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disability are remanded for further development to determine their relationship to service, with consideration of the presumptive exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and a failure to comply with previous remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease and PTSD, along with his nonservice-connected kidney failure, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from June 30, 2015, but no earlier.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to insufficient medical evidence and inadequate retrospective opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability and special monthly compensation due to the need for aid and attendance of another person/housebound status. The referral to the Director, Compensation Service, is required as per previous remands.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea, including as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease and PTSD, as well as presumed in-service Agent Orange exposure, is being remanded due to the need for an addendum medical opinion regarding the relationship between his sleep apnea and his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and concluding that CAD did not have its onset in or was related to active-duty service, including as a result of herbicide exposure.

The Board has found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of September 25, 2015. However, due to the remand for extra-schedular consideration, the case is now pending again with the possibility of a TDIU being granted on an extra-schedular basis prior to September 25, 2015.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and obesity due to potential secondary effects from her service-connected psychiatric disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II (diabetes), left knee disability, right knee disability, diverticulitis, obstructive sleep apnea, and benign prostate hypertrophy due to inadequate examination opinions and failure to provide ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA dates.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD has prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since August 3, 2018. The Board granted a TDIU based on this condition.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for Barrett's esophagus, hiatal hernia, and entitlement to a compensable rating prior to November 24, 2014, and a rating higher than 30 percent thereafter, for COPD and benign asbestos pleural disease. The claim for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus is granted.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his hepatitis C claim was granted. His heart condition and diabetes mellitus type II claims were remanded for further review.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for CAD prior to June 27, 2018 and a rating in excess of 60 percent for CAD since June 27, 2018.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability and remanded the issue of higher SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran is granted a rating of 70 percent for PTSD prior to January 31, 2020 and entitlement to TDIU prior to that date. The Board found the Veteran's PTSD results in deficiencies in most areas such as work, family relations, judgment, and thinking.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Veteran's heart disorder is not service-connected as it did not manifest within one year of discharge and there is no evidence linking the condition to his military service, including herbicide exposure.,The Veteran's bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are not early-onset and thus do not qualify for presumptive service connection based on herbicide agent exposure. The Board also found that these conditions were not caused or aggravated by his service-connected right hand osteoarthritis and/or residuals contusions metatarsal phalangeal joint in great toe.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remand directives. The cause of death is being reviewed, and a new medical opinion is needed to determine if service-connected conditions caused or aggravated the Veteran's death.