Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board granted an initial rating of 60 percent for ischemic heart disease from October 4, 2010 to December 10, 2015 and granted a 100 percent rating effective December 10, 2015. The decision also established the effective date based on the Veteran's diagnosis of chronic congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD, anxiety, and depression), allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, left elbow disability, right elbow disability, neck disability, colostomy, diverticulosis, bilateral foot condition, heart disability, hemorrhoids, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left hip disability, right hip disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, back disability, colon polyps, prostate disability, and vertigo were denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or a causal relationship to service.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus type II is granted on a presumptive basis due to service in Thailand. The heart condition claim is remanded as the AOJ failed to provide a VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for ischemic heart disease (atherosclerotic coronary artery disease). The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his active service, while the ischemic heart disease does not have its onset during service and there is no evidence of herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's TBI-related conditions, including schizophrenia and myocardial infarction, require daily aid and attendance. Without this care, the Veteran would need institutionalized care due to his cognitive impairments.

The Veteran's service-connected CAD is associated with peripheral edema in his lower extremities, but the Board has remanded to determine if these conditions are secondary to his service-connected condition.,The Veteran claims a psychiatric disability (claimed as insomnia) and this claim is also being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty-to-assist error and the need for additional medical opinions regarding service connection for a heart condition.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's cardiovascular condition, including ischemic heart disease, is not related to service and thus denied his claim. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including candidiasis oral thrush, bronchitis, sickle cell disability, bilateral lower quadrant abdominal pain, an eye disability, and a heart disability. The Veteran's claims were not substantiated by the evidence of record.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 40 percent for peripheral vascular disease of the right and left lower extremities, effective April 30, 2022. The Veteran's coronary artery disease is rated at 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period on appeal before March 29, 2011. From March 29, 2011 to October 13, 2016, his disabilities were considered in determining entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was granted with an effective date of February 25, 2022. The Board found that the earlier submission on January 10, 2020, should be considered as part of the pending claim process.

The Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents during his service as a Fuels Specialist at Westover Air Force Base, which was known to have been used to spray herbicide agents.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and prostate cancer, both of which are presumed to be related to herbicide agent exposure during the Veteran's active duty in Thailand. The Board also denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed because the Notice of Disagreement (NOD) did not identify a specific decision or issue with which he disagreed. The NOD was filed in October 2021, but there is no January 2021 rating decision that the Veteran could have appealed.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, and a seizure disorder due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors. The Veteran's exposure to Camp Lejeune Contaminated Water is conceded, but the opinions from previous examiners did not consider this exposure or discuss the relationship between his conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for cardiomyopathy/ischemic heart disease was granted in a May 2021 rating decision, but the appeal as to accrued benefits purposes is dismissed because the issue has been resolved.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was denied in December 2018. The effective date of the award of service connection is May 21, 2018. The Veteran's claim for service connection for B-cell leukemia was granted with a 100% rating effective June 4, 2020. The initial rating for coronary artery disease remains at 60%.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, dyslipidemia, left hip condition, right hip condition, back condition, respiratory condition, sleep apnea, and carpal tunnel syndrome due to potential exposure to fine particulate matter in Southwest Asia. The Veteran's service connection claims are being remanded to obtain a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disabilities, finding that his current conditions are related to symptoms he experienced during active service.