Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Veteran's heart blockage status post myocardial infarction is rated at 60 percent, and Parkinson's disease with mild stooped posture, mild bradykinesia, and moderate balance impairment due to tactical herbicide exposure is granted a noncompensable rating.,Urinary incontinence has been rated at the maximum schedular percentage of 60 percent.

The Veteran's initial rating for PTSD with alcohol use disorder has been granted at a 70 percent level, effective April 25, 2020. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for heart condition and sarcoidosis due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for CAD, heart block, and coronary artery bypass graft was granted with an effective date of March 13, 2018. The earlier requested dates were denied due to the failure to address a relevant line-of-duty determination in the initial rating decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was granted in an earlier decision, and the appeal is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease with myocardial infarction and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator with coronary artery bypass graft are found to be aggravated by his service-connected paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, leading to the grant of service connection for these conditions. The issues of entitlement to service connection for rhinitis and sinusitis are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted based on herbicide exposure, but the effective date of DIC benefits is denied as no prior claim was received until July 13, 2021.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings were denied. The appeal as to entitlement to a TDIU from January 26, 2017 is dismissed as moot.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent from October 31, 2019 to September 8, 2020.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for payment or reimbursement of non-VA prescription medication due to lack of emergency treatment and failure to meet eligibility criteria under 38 U.S.C. § 1728.

The Veteran's death was caused by a heart condition that should have been presumptively service-connected due to his in-service herbicide exposure. The Board has granted an earlier effective date of January 1, 2019 for the grant of DIC.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II has been granted due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for service connection for CAD is remanded as there is a current diagnosis and some indication of a potential relationship with in-service exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, hypertension (pursuant to the PACT Act), emphysema with endobronchial valve in left lung, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, a left shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral disability (lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease), and a left knee condition are granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims for emphysema with endobronchial valve in left lung, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, a left shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral disability (lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease), and a left knee condition are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease and recurrent forehead trauma residuals due to a pre-decisional error in not considering evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran is seeking a higher rate of SMC based on aid and attendance, which requires evidence showing he is in need of regular assistance due to his service-connected conditions. The Board finds that the Veteran has been shown to be in need of such assistance since December 3, 2014.

The Veteran's hypertensive heart disease with angina is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 60 percent.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and persistent fistula are both rated at 30 percent, effective March 7, 2022.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of his lumbar spine, right shoulder, left shoulder, gastrointestinal (Crohn's disease), and heart disabilities. The Veteran must be provided with VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, hypoparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, atrial fibrillation, and chloracne scar are all denied as there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure in service.

The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is dismissed as the March 2022 rating decision did not become final due to continuous pursuit of the claim. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart disease were all found to be incurred during service. The Board granted the claims for these conditions.