Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2023

The Veteran's COPD and CAD have been granted service connection, with COPD being related to in-service exposure to fiberglass dust and CAD being related to the Veteran's history of hypertension and a family history of heart problems.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection, as the evidence is in equipoise regarding its relationship to his active duty service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to a lack of audiometric testing meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's initial ratings for coronary artery disease have been granted, with the highest rating of 100 percent being assigned from February 20, 2013 to the present.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension, heart disorder, edema of the lower extremities, prostate disorder, and urinary tract disorder due to inadequate etiological opinions provided by VA examiners. The Veteran must be afforded additional VA examinations to determine the onset and/or etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's COPD is denied as it is not related to service, including asbestos exposure.,The Veteran's hypertension is denied as it is not secondary to PTSD or COPD.,The Veteran's diabetes is denied as it is not due to herbicide exposure and is not secondary to hypertension or COPD.,The Veteran's heart condition is denied as it is not related to service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's sleep apnea is denied as it is not related to service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is denied as it is not related to service-connected conditions.,The Veteran's vision problems are denied as they are not related to diabetes or COPD.,The Veteran's stomach condition is denied as it is not related to diabetes or COPD.,The Veteran's nerve problems are denied as they are not related to diabetes or COPD.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is denied as it is not related to diabetes or COPD.,The Veteran's colonic polyps are denied as they are not related to diabetes or COPD.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of stroke on a secondary causation basis, initial rating greater than 60 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD), and total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand instructions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart stent replacement, rectal disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to lack of new and material evidence for the heart stent replacement claim and insufficient evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left arm and left elbow disabilities are dismissed. Service connection for hypertension is granted under the PACT Act, while other issues remain pending.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for vascular disease, hypertension, and heart condition due to inadequate VA examinations. The claims need to be reviewed again with additional opinions from a VA examiner regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's heart disorder, including coronary artery disease and hypertension, is related to his service-connected anxiety disorder. However, a medical opinion is needed to determine if this relationship exists.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and need for additional VA examinations. The Veteran's heart disability and vascular disease are being reviewed again.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his exposure to a high-cholesterol diet during active duty service. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and chest scars, finding the evidence in relative equipoise concerning whether the Veteran's heart condition was properly characterized as IHD. The chest scarring is secondary to a heart disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is dismissed. Service connection is granted for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis, and the issues of service connection for bilateral lower extremity peripheral nerve disorders, insomnia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and muscle and joint pain are remanded.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and his claims for accrued benefits were not filed within one year of his death. The causes of the Veteran's death (cardiorespiratory arrest, end stage chronic obstructive lung disease, and coronary artery disease) are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for various disabilities have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the issues by his attorney representative.,The Board has remanded several claims including hypertension, heart disability, erectile dysfunction, right and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and an increased rating for PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected scars and CAD, finding that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including GI disorder, DM, heart disorder, back disorder, kidney disorder, RUE neuropathy, LUE neuropathy, RLE neuropathy, and LLE neuropathy. The Veteran's symptoms were not found to be related to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU based on these conditions and awarded SMC at the housebound rate due to his combined disability rating of 80 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA opinions and a need for further development of evidence regarding the Veteran's heart disability.