Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board has determined that the AOJ did not properly address the Veteran's earlier effective date claims for service connection and remands these issues.

The Veteran's residual surgical scar, status post coronary artery bypass graft, is granted a 10 percent disability rating due to pain and itching.

The Veteran's heart disability, respiratory disability, diabetes mellitus, and various peripheral neuropathies and radiculopathies are not service-connected. The cervical spine disability is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing benefits was remanded due to a lack of medical evidence supporting her eligibility, and the need for a VA examination to assess her service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's heart disorder and hypertension are granted as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The right shoulder strain and left shoulder osteoarthritis are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's heart condition and maculopapular rash are being remanded for further evaluation due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and left ankle fracture residuals, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since October 2005. The effective date for the TDIU is set at June 29, 2006.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure, based on the Veteran's nautical service in offshore waters.,The Board denied service connection for left calf injury as there is no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and hypertensive heart disease, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The PTSD rating was reduced from 70% to 50%, with reinstatement of the higher rating effective February 1, 2021.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to his exposure to toxic substances during military service, including in Southwest Asia and at Fort McClellan. The VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran's contentions regarding his hazardous exposures.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea and a heart condition, to include hypertension, are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding causation or aggravation by his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral glaucoma was denied due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The Board found that the current diagnosis of bilateral glaucoma is related to service.,Coronary artery disease, claimed as due to chronic fatigue syndrome, was granted as it is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has vacated the previous decisions dismissing claims for service connection for skin conditions, and remanded the claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for right lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity diabetic peripheral neuropathy, coronary artery disease (CAD), and diabetes mellitus. The issues are now pending before the Board again.

The Board found that new and relevant evidence did not warrant readjudication of the claims for service connection for a bilateral leg condition, sleep condition, heart condition, or throat cancer.

Effective dates of December 8, 2011 are granted for service connection for diabetes, diabetic peripheral neuropathy in multiple extremities, erectile dysfunction, and renal failure. Effective date of February 19, 2013 is granted for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease as secondary to herbicide exposure is granted. Claims for colon cancer, throat cancer, skin cancer, liver cancer, lung lesions, and an aortic aneurysm are denied.

The Veteran's TDIU is granted with an effective date of February 19, 2015. This decision finds that the Veteran met the requirements for a TDIU as of this date due to his service-connected PTSD and OSA.

The Veteran's death was caused by ischemic heart disease, which has been granted service connection. However, the appellant did not have a pending claim for diabetes mellitus type II or ischemic heart disease at the time of the Veteran's death, so accrued benefits are denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for his heart conditions was denied. The Board found that December 21, 2023 is the proper date for the award of service connection.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease results in breathlessness and fatigue at a workload of greater than 3.0 but not greater than 5.0 METs, warranting a 60 percent rating for the entire period on appeal.