Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning in previous opinions and new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including traumatic brain injury and back pain, resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance. The Board found that SMC aid and attendance is granted based on these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for ischemic heart disease from August 1, 2017 to April 27, 2018 was granted. The effective date of the increased rating is set at August 1, 2017.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for various conditions have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, and there was no service connection established for most of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran was never diagnosed with a heart condition prior to his passing, and there is insufficient evidence to support such a diagnosis.

The Veteran's PTSD, anxiety condition/sleep disturbances is characterized by reduced reliability and productivity. The Board has granted a 50 percent rating for the period from June 14, 2021, to August 8, 2023.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion provided in July 2022 was inadequate and requires further clarification regarding the Veteran's heart conditions, including their onset during or relation to his active service. The case is therefore being remanded for an addendum opinion from a qualified examiner.

The Board has granted service connection for a back condition and a heart condition, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has found that the claims for service connection for Congestive Heart Failure, Type II Diabetes, Coronary Artery Disease, and Dilated Cardiomyopathy must be remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions. The VA is instructed to clarify the type of toxic exposure conceded in the TERA memo and obtain an adequate opinion addressing the Veteran's exposure to commercial herbicides and insecticides at Fort Polk.

The Veteran's hypertension, panic disorder with unspecified anxious distress, and hypertensive heart disease have been granted service connection. However, the claims for chest pain and OSA due to exposure to chemicals are being remanded.,Further examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service or any chemical exposures.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for asthma, IBS, CFS, heart condition, and headaches due to inadequate VA opinions and a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to burn pits during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person, resulting in a grant of SMC based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, and right hip conditions, rendered him unemployable as of August 30, 2015. The Board granted an effective date for the TDIU award on this date.

The Board has granted service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether symptomatology and conditions suffered during service resulted in the Veteran's current condition.

The Board has remanded the cases of heart and chest disabilities for further development due to inadequate etiology opinions.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension is granted due to herbicide exposure, with hypertension being granted under the PACT Act. The issue of direct service connection for hypertension remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for COPD and CAD are being remanded due to procedural errors in obtaining medical records and the need for an addendum opinion regarding heart failure symptoms.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bladder cancer, coronary artery disease (claimed as ischemic heart disease), and diabetes mellitus type II due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing the condition began in service or within one year after separation. The Veteran's claims for hypertension and heart condition are remanded as there is insufficient medical information to determine their relationship to service.,Additional TERA information and medical records are needed to evaluate whether the Veteran's hypertension and heart condition are related to his service, including his role as a jet engine mechanic.

The appeal for service connection for gout is dismissed due to untimely filing. The appeals for hypertension, essential thrombocythemia and monoclonal gammopathy (MGUS) (claimed as blood cancer), heart disease, and sleep apnea are remanded.