Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Veteran's DMII and hypertension were granted service connection due to in-service herbicide agent exposure.,Her glaucoma, sleep apnea, lung condition (including COPD and asthma), GERD, breast cancer, IBS, endocrinopathy, hypothyroidism, tinnitus, blood clots, heart condition, and bilateral hearing loss were all remanded for further development due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hyperplasia of the prostate, hypertension, and chronic kidney disease is granted. Service connection for PTSD is also granted with a maximum disability rating of 100%. The TDIU claim is dismissed as moot due to the grant of a total schedular rating for PTSD. The heart disorder claim is remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent, and he has additional service-connected disabilities independently ratable at 60 percent or more. Therefore, the Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and special monthly compensation (SMC) at the housebound rate.

The Board has remanded the cases of the Veteran's service connection claims for CAD and hypertension due to inadequate opinions regarding whether these conditions are caused or aggravated by his service-connected depressive disorder.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for cardiomegaly was granted, but the current appeal is about whether a higher rating should be assigned. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher than 30 percent rating for his cardiomegaly as of November 14, 2021.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of herbicide exposure during service that would support presumptive service connection.