Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, including atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with congestive heart failure, valvular heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, cardiomyopathy, premature atrial contractions, and coronary artery disease, based on exposure to herbicide agents during his military service in Vietnam.

The Board has denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, Parkinson's disease, hypertension, heart condition, and hypothyroidism as there is no credible evidence of herbicide agent exposure in the Panama Canal Zone during the Veteran's service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, finding that it is related to his active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition. The claims of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for back, kidney, headache, left leg numbness, and right leg numbness conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection and a higher rating for CAD prior to February 21, 2018 has been dismissed. The Board granted the earlier effective date in a previous decision.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension. The decision is based on a medical opinion that supports this relationship.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for his heart disease and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and METs testing.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of a heart disorder before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 14, 2014 for the grant of service connection for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty. The Veteran's claim was received on July 14, 2015, and he is entitled to retroactive benefits based on a presumption of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 100 percent disability rating for service-connected coronary heart disease was denied as it is not factually ascertainable that the disability increased within one year prior to March 31, 2019.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s) was denied because he did not meet the criteria for permanent housebound status due to his service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder, unspecified depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder was denied as it is not factually ascertainable that the disability increased within one year prior to March 31, 2019.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not support his inability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran is entitled to SMC under certain provisions of the VA regulations, but the RO needs to clarify which service-connected disabilities are the basis for these awards. The Appellant argues that separate grants should have been awarded under other provisions as well.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of entitlement to service connection for ED secondary to service-connected CAD and DM due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA medical opinions obtained were inadequate as they did not address whether the Veteran's ED was caused or aggravated by his service-connected conditions, nor did they consider the potential aggravation of ED by herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether his valvular heart disease, including mild aortic stenosis and hypertensive heart disease, is related to his active service, specifically herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that there was a duty to assist error prior to the date of the AOJ's January 2021 rating decision. The Veteran has established she has a current heart condition, and her service record includes complaints and treatments for a heart condition. However, the Board is without medical expertise to make a determination regarding the nexus of the Veteran's current heart condition. Therefore, a remand is necessary to obtain a medical examination and opinion regarding the nexus.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, SDB and OSA, and headaches due to their being proximately due to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD. The claims are based on secondary service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's heart disability, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The claim will be reconsidered with this additional evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for service connection of a heart condition and erectile dysfunction, finding no unadjudicated formal or informal claims prior to October 20, 2020.