Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, was caused or aggravated by his military service.,His bilateral shoulder strain developed as a result of his military service.

The Board denied service connection for right elbow olecranon bursitis and remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability, lung disability, back disability, and prostate nodule. The Veteran's appeal is pending.

The Veteran's earlier effective date for service connection of ischemic heart disease, including CABG and unstable angina with percutaneous coronary intervention with stent, is granted as September 7, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal for additional dependency benefits for his previous spouse, A., from January 6, 2011, to August [REDACTED], 2020, is granted.

The Veteran's appeal regarding attorney fees for past-due benefits awarded in an August 2022 rating decision is dismissed as the former representative, J.R.P., waived his right to collect attorney fees.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, ischemic heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of November 13, 2018. The Board granted TDIU from that date.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors that occurred prior to the August 2024 rating decision. The issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for CAD and SMC (s)(1) are remanded as they are intertwined with determining the severity of his service-connected CAD.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and an earlier effective date have been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of both appeals.

The Veteran's PCAFC eligibility is being remanded due to a lack of explanation for denying his eligibility, and the need for an opinion on whether it is in his best interest to participate in the program.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and bladder cancer due to exposure to JP-5 jet fuel during military service. The VA failed to consider this toxic exposure in its initial decisions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) was aggravated by his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and therefore grants service connection for CAD on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents near the DMZ in Korea.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. Service connection was granted for migraine headaches as secondary to tinnitus, with a finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient verification of in-service exposure to asbestos and lead, and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient clarity in the Veteran's submitted photographs regarding herbicide use and defoliation. The location of his assigned duties at the bomb dump is unclear, necessitating further development.

The Board denied service connection for Peripheral Vascular Disease, a Heart Disability manifested by chest pain (including coronary artery disease), and Carotid Artery Stenosis due to the lack of evidence showing these conditions were present in service or until many years thereafter, and they are not shown to be related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's heart disability and service. The claim will be reconsidered with additional medical evaluation.

The Veteran's maximum 20 percent rating for service-connected hemorrhoids is granted from June 24, 2010. The more than a 30 percent rating for service-connected heart disability prior to June 24, 2011 and the TDIU and SMC claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and increased rating due to insufficient information regarding the extent of the Veteran's heart disability, severity of scars associated with his heart disability, etiology of tinnitus, hearing loss, and peripheral disorders. The claims are being returned for further clarification and additional medical opinions.