Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board has denied service connection for heart condition and remanded the case to obtain a medical opinion regarding celiac disease. The heart condition denial is due to lack of evidence linking it to service, while the celiac disease issue requires further examination.

The Veteran's claim for heart disease was granted with an effective date of June 1, 2021. The rating for TMJ dysfunction remains at 20 percent. Other claims are either denied or remanded.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for coronary artery disease was denied. The VA determined that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 60 percent from March 28, 2008 to March 14, 2011 and since July 27, 2020.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition, DMII, nephropathy, prostate cancer, skin cancer, gallbladder condition, arthritis, and hypertension are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and ischemic heart disease are granted service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The erectile dysfunction is also granted as secondary to the service-connected prostate cancer.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted on a direct basis due to in-service herbicide exposure.,Service connection for the heart disability, secondary to service-connected hypertension, is granted. The Veteran's bone soreness claim is readjudicated as part of his follicular lymphoma case.,There is no current evidence of bone soreness and the issue has been readjudicated.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant higher ratings during the periods specified, but remanded the cases for further development due to conflicting employment history information.

The Board has granted an effective date of May 21, 2013 for the award of a TDIU on an extraschedular basis and for basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment since at least May 21, 2013.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease and hypertension prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful occupation, but the AOJ did not consider all relevant evidence in making its decision. The Board is remanding to schedule updated VA examinations and refer the issue for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him in need for regular aid and attendance of another person, and the Board has granted SMC based on this need prior to June 11, 2020.

The Veteran's heart disability is rated at 100% prior to June 9, 2016. He also has other service-connected disabilities that independently rate at 60% or more from March 16, 2015. The Board granted SMC at the housebound rate for these conditions.

The Veteran's heart disease, including atrial fibrillation, is granted as service connected due to herbicide agent exposure during his active duty in Korea.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is characterized by a workload of 3 METs or less resulting in angina, and the Board has granted a 100 percent disability rating for this condition. The issue of total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.

The Board has denied an initial compensable rating for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for a heart disability due to insufficient evidence showing required blood pressure readings.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, effective dates, and ratings related to coronary artery disease with chronic congestive heart failure, erectile dysfunction, loss of use of a creative organ, and epididymo-orchitis due to outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his heart condition is denied, and he is granted individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the Appellant did not meet the criteria for VA burial benefits as her father had no pending claims at the time of his death.

The Board has determined that there is pre-decisional error in the decision on appeal regarding service connection for coronary artery disease and requires a VA examination to address the Veteran's claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error, requiring VA examinations and medical opinions addressing his heart disease, stroke residuals, seizure disorder, and partial blindness.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to duty-to-assist errors, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's heart condition is related to service.