Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, but the appeals are remanded for further development and rating actions.

The Board has referred several service connection claims for the Veteran's claimed conditions, including heart disorder, encephalitis, GERD, pulmonary disorder, hypoxia, and prostate disorder. These claims are remanded due to incomplete VA treatment records and need further evaluation by VA medical experts.

The Veteran was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected back and heart disabilities from August 25, 2014, to March 21, 2016.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including a heart murmur and related disabilities, as the evidence did not support that these conditions were aggravated by service or had their onset in service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone is sufficient to support entitlement to Total Disability Rating Based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU). As of January 24, 2023, the Veteran also meets the criteria for Special Monthly Compensation (SMC) based on housebound status due to his service-connected CAD.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence, including VA treatment records from December 2022 to the present. The AOJ will review all relevant evidence and readjudicate the issues.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have necessitated his reliance on others to attend to his daily personal activities, and the Board has determined that he requires regular aid and attendance due to his service-connected PTSD and heart issues.

The Board's decision is vacated due to a failure to address the Veteran's lawful opt-in to the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA) system, which violated his right to due process of law.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for anemia, chloracne, and a heart condition due to environmental contaminants at Fort McClellan (FTMC) and Rocky Mountain Arsenal (RMA), including herbicide agents. The VA is instructed to schedule examinations and obtain opinions regarding the Veteran's exposure to these conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for hepatitis C, liver disorder, blood disorder, kidney disorder, and heart disorder due to exposures at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran was not afforded in-person examinations as instructed by prior remand directives.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 28, 1993.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is granted due to the PACT Act. The claims for diabetes mellitus and heart condition are remanded as they are inextricably intertwined with the diabetes claim.

The Board has corrected the effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease from June 8, 2010 to October 1, 1984. The Veteran's claim was pending and not finally adjudicated until after his separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, heart disability, and acquired psychiatric disorder, have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for migraine headaches and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for sleep apnea and a heart condition, have been dismissed due to the Veteran's attorney withdrawing his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for the cause of his death and for DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, finding that none of his service-connected disabilities were a principal or contributory cause of his death.

The Board has granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, a right wrist disability, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The claim of service connection for posttraumatic stress disorder is remanded. Service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II, as well as peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower and upper extremities. The claims are based on presumptive exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability and chronic kidney disease, finding that there is no evidence of a direct relationship to his in-service treatment or exposure to herbicide agents.