Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2024

The Board has restored the Veteran's 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease, effective September 1, 2020. The Veteran's condition is currently rated at 60 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Board is remanding both claims of entitlement to service connection for angiomas as residuals of hepatic toxicity and coronary heart disease as the result of methyl methacrylate exposure due to conflicting etiological opinions and inadequate development of evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right foot disorder, left foot disorder, LUE CTS, heart disorder, cervical spine disorder, and OSA. The claims are remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 31, 2019, for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation in excess of 100 percent for his service-connected coronary artery disease has also been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for coronary artery disease, COPD, and depression due to service connection issues. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's periods of active service, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA, as well as his exposure to asbestos and carbon tetrachloride during any period of service.

The Veteran's surviving spouse is seeking a higher rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease, which was previously denied. The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the severity of the condition during the period on appeal.

The Veteran's cause of death is determined to be ischemic heart disease, which is presumed related to his service exposure to herbicide agents. The Board finds that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition as secondary to vitreous hemorrhage, right eye due to lack of evidence showing an in-service occurrence or direct causation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for neck disability, unspecified heart disease, hypertension, and secondary conditions. The effective date for PTSD was not granted prior to February 6, 2018.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) with congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, AICD and bypass graft was caused or aggravated by his service-connected major depressive disorder with alcohol abuse disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected coronary artery disease, status-post CABG. The VA examinations obtained prior to the hearing were inadequate and did not provide sufficient information for rating purposes.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. Additional development is needed regarding the Veteran's exposure to radiation, and an opinion from a qualified VA examiner is required.

The Board denied attorney fees for past-due benefits awarded in the February 2023 rating decision, as there was no qualifying review request on that decision. The appellant could not perform services warranting fees on this issue.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for heart condition, hypertension, BPH, thyroid condition, and sleep apnea due to potential toxic exposure risk activity (TERA).

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertension (post-myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft) is rated at 100 percent effective May 9, 2019. The Veteran's diabetic neuropathy of the left upper extremity, right upper extremity, left lower extremity (femoral), and right lower extremity (sciatic) are all rated as 30 percent each. His left medial knee scar, anterior chest scar, and painful scars are all rated as non-compensable. The Veteran's service connection for chronic kidney disease with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and hypertension is granted effective May 9, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal of the TDIU claim was dismissed because the VA Form 10182 filed in January 2023 is untimely and did not appeal a rating decision within one year.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cardiomyopathy is reasonably shown to be proximately due to his service-connected hypertension, and thus grants service connection for cardiomyopathy as secondary to hypertension.

The Veteran's request for a higher level review of his previously denied ischemic heart disease claim was found to be untimely and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for atherosclerotic renal disease, headaches, cervical spine disability, and skin cancer due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.,Service connection for angina is denied as there is no current diagnosis of angina or any related heart disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's heart disability is related to her service-connected asthma. The Veteran needs a new examination and opinion from an examiner.