Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and soft-tissue sarcoma, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient medical evidence to link the conditions to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine, right hip, and heart disabilities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for coronary artery calcifications, arthritis, varicose veins, and skin cancer as they have been granted in previous decisions.

The Veteran's initial rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) prior to September 29, 2021 was denied. From September 29, 2021, the Veteran is granted a 100 percent disability rating for CAD.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and type II diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during active service and insufficient medical nexus to link the conditions to service or a service-connected disability.,Diabetes was first diagnosed in March 1989, well after separation from service. The examiner concluded that hypertension did not cause or aggravate diabetes.

The Veteran's skin cancer is granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents. The rating for CAD prior to October 28, 2019, and the rating for bilateral hearing loss are both denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability has been reopened, and he is now in receipt of a 50% rating for PTSD. The appeal regarding the heart disability remains pending as it was remanded by the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prescribed Quetiapine, used to treat his service-connected PTSD, caused him to fall and subsequently fracture his hip, leading to his death. Therefore, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarct, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic heart condition during or within one year after service. The Board also found insufficient medical evidence to support a nexus between current heart conditions and service.

The Veteran's cause of death, acute myocardial infarction due to chronic kidney failure on hemodialysis, was not service-connected. The Board found no evidence linking the heart or kidney issues to his active duty service.

The Board has denied service connection for urticaria, heart disability (claimed as ventricular arrhythmia), and impairment of the coccyx due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,Remand is required to obtain an adequate medical advisory opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's claimed coccyx impairment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the increased ratings for atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records that may be pertinent to his TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records that may help determine if the Veteran's heart condition is related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, chronic renal disease, and ischemic heart disease with hypertensive cardiovascular disease due to service-connected PTSD. The Veteran's hypertension is being reviewed again for a medical opinion regarding whether it was caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's SMC based on housebound status is denied as he does not have a single service-connected disability rated at 100% or TDIU due to a single service-connected disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's coronary artery disease prior to September 16, 2019. A retrospective medical opinion is needed to assess this.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need for additional development and examination, particularly regarding the Veteran's myocardial bridge condition and respiratory disabilities.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected coronary artery disease, effective August 31, 2015. Additionally, the Veteran is granted SMC at the housebound rate based on his single service-connected disability of coronary artery disease.