Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2025

The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection of a heart condition and throat cancer. The VA will obtain medical examinations to determine if these conditions are related to the veteran's exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, so he is granted total disability due to individual unemployability.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including conditions like cardiomegaly and heart failure, was granted. The decision was based on evidence showing that a diagnostic procedure during service aggravated the veteran's congenital heart defect.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer and coronary artery disease (CAD) were granted. The claim for stable angina was remanded for further evaluation.

The veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities was granted. The Board found that the veteran is unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of dental disability was dismissed without prejudice. The claims for service connection for heart disease and TDIU were denied.

The Board remanded all issues to correct pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors and to satisfy a regulatory or statutory duty. The Veteran's claims are being sent back for further evaluation, including TERA examinations.

The veteran's PTSD rating was increased to 50% before March 5, 2019, and to 100% starting March 5, 2019. The effective date for special monthly compensation due to the need for aid and attendance is July 9, 2017. However, claims for total disability rating based on individual unemployability, special monthly compensation at the housebound rate, and an earlier effective date for DEA were denied.

The Board remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for right upper lobe carcinoma and coronary artery disease due to errors in the duty to assist.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for multiple conditions, including PTSD and diabetes, was granted. The character of the Veteran's discharge from service does not bar VA benefits.

The veteran's increased rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) to 60 percent from September 14, 2018 to October 14, 2019 is granted. An earlier effective date of September 14, 2018 for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status is also granted.

The veteran is granted an initial rating of 40 percent for residuals from prostate cancer with voiding dysfunction. The claim for service connection for a heart condition, including atrial fibrillation with valvular heart disease and cardiomyopathy, is remanded.

The Board remanded the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disability, a higher initial evaluation for coronary artery disease (CAD), and entitlement to a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU).

The veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, residuals of prostate cancer, hypertension, and neuropathy of the lower extremities were denied. The claim for tinnitus was granted.

The veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension were granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during military service in South Korea.

The appeal for a higher rating of coronary artery disease was dismissed due to the Veteran's death. The family can request substitution within one year to continue the appeal.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for a cervical spine disorder, heart disorder, and type II diabetes mellitus due to herbicide and chemical exposure. Additional development is needed including VA medical opinions regarding potential causation.

The veteran's effective date for a 70% PTSD rating and a 60% CAD rating was granted as of October 17, 2011. The appeal for an earlier effective date for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) was dismissed.

The veteran's service connection for headaches and obstructive sleep apnea was granted. The veteran's request for higher ratings for PTSD, CAD, and various forms of arthritis, as well as a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, were denied. However, the veteran was granted TDIU and an effective date for DEA.

The appeal for service connection of coronary artery disease due to herbicide exposure is remanded. The VA needs to obtain all relevant medical records.