Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical and administrative records from Fort McCoy Army Hospital and East Orange VA Medical Center. The AOJ must also clarify the amount paid by the Appellant for the medical services provided.

The Board has remanded the claims for staged increased ratings for cardiovascular residuals of shrapnel to the heart and myocardial infarction, as well as the claim for a TDIU prior to April 30, 2021. The Veteran is required to provide records from Cleveland Clinic and private medical records related to congestive cardiac failure.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for s/p lung cancer with lobectomy is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a heart disability due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during military service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of a heart disorder has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate this case as the appellant is deceased.

The Board has granted a 100 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected hypertensive heart disease effective July 10, 2023. The earlier effective date of July 10, 2023, is granted as the Veteran continuously pursued his claim.

The Veteran's claim for a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) and scar, status/post CABG was granted effective December 7, 2016. The earlier effective dates for the ratings were determined based on the date of claim or the date entitlement arose.

The rating reduction of the Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) from 60% to 30% was improper, and the 60% rating is restored.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for high blood pressure/hypertension due to conflicting opinions and need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease resulted in a workload of greater than three METs but not greater than five METs, and he was found to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board granted an earlier effective date for the initial evaluation of 60 percent for CAD, TDIU, and eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) from July 10, 2017.

The Veteran's heart condition and neurogenic bladder are not related to service, but they have been granted a 100% evaluation for the heart disability and a 50% evaluation for the neurogenic bladder.,An effective date earlier than April 19, 2021, for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits is denied.

The Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease and ischemic heart disease, was rated at 60% effective May 19, 2014. The Board granted this rating based on the medical evidence showing that the Veteran met the criteria for a 60% disability since May 19, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his service-connected conditions, including arteriosclerotic heart disease, anterior body scar, left lower extremity scar, right lower extremity scar, and hemorrhagic stroke residuals, as well as entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance prior to August 4, 2023, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU), are being remanded due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors in the examination records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that there is no current diagnosis of a heart condition and that the evidence does not support a link to military service.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to December 11, 2014, for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease was denied. The Board found that the October 2013 VA treatment records did not constitute new and material evidence as they did not relate to an in-service event or a medical link to service.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease was restored to a 100% disability rating from March 27, 2017 to May 29, 2018 due to evidence indicating improvement in the condition under ordinary conditions of life.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to errors in duty to assist. The Veteran's service connection claims are being reviewed again with additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development regarding potential exposure to PFAS firefighting foam and for a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his shoulder conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, acne vulgaris and acne keloidalis nuchae, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from September 30, 2009 to March 28, 2019.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and opinion regarding service connection for COPD, bladder cancer, and a heart condition.

The Veteran's claim for an extra-schedular TDIU prior to January 31, 2018 is remanded due to insufficient evidence of unemployability by reason of service-connected disabilities.