Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, is granted as service-connected due to its manifestation within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's travel to a non-emergency appointment at Integrated Medical Services on January 26, 2024, was pre-authorized by VA and he is rated as 100 percent disabled. The Board granted the claim for reimbursement of beneficiary travel expenses.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation, as he is capable of sedentary or low impact physical work.

The Veteran's sleep apnea, hypertension, and heart condition are granted service connection. The claims for diabetes mellitus, type II (DM) and colon cancer are remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's septal nasal deformity, status-post septorhinoplasty, is granted as service-connected. The issues of traumatic brain injury residuals and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded for further examination and opinion. The heart condition and erectile dysfunction claims are also remanded due to their inextricably intertwined nature with the sleep apnea claim.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating and an earlier effective date for his service-connected coronary artery bypass graft and coronary artery disease is being remanded due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange. The claim for service connection for a neurological condition including Parkinson's disease and/or tremors is remanded as the VA has not obtained all relevant medical records.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for residuals of prostate cancer with voiding dysfunction and for continuance of SMC based on housebound criteria from January 1, 2022. The reduction to a 20 percent disability rating was proper as the appellant's prostate cancer was in remission.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or chronic conditions that would warrant presumptive service connection. The Board also found no direct service connection based on the lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is not related to his service, and therefore denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease as there is no current diagnosis of heart disease in the record.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection and a 60 percent rating for hypertensive heart disease, status post mitral valve repair to include valvular heart disease is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and essential head tremor, both of which are related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The VA will obtain medical opinions to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and a compensable rating for his right ear hearing loss, heart condition, hypertension, and anemia are remanded due to incomplete evidence. The VA will obtain any outstanding treatment records and schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PSVT, arteriosclerotic heart disease, coronary artery bypass graft, myocardial infarction, and AICD are so inter-related that they cannot be separated. The Board grants an initial 100 percent rating for the combined conditions.

The Board has found that new and relevant evidence supports readjudicating the claims for diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, and heart disability. The AOJ must now adjudicate these claims based on this new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, angioplasty with stent placement and atrial flutter was denied. The Board found that the earliest effective date available is November 9, 2020.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received, warranting readjudication of the claim for service connection for a heart disorder. The appeal is remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of any identified heart disorders.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection due to lack of new and material evidence within one year of final decisions, and because the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicide agents under the PACT Act.