Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for headaches and tinnitus, but remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, a bilateral hand disability, a bilateral knee/leg disability, an acquired psychiatric disability, a heart disability, and a back disability.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's motion for revision based on clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in an April 2022 rating decision, as it was not properly raised with the AOJ first.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation to correct a duty to assist error.

The Board granted service connection for left and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, other than under the PACT Act, as well as coronary artery disease, on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure.

The veteran's appeal requests for both increased disability rating and service connection were dismissed due to untimely filing.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of July 26, 2021 for the grant of service connection for a heart disability and an initial 100 percent disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection, as well as an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, but denied increased ratings for coronary artery disease with atrial fibrillation and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer, status post lobectomy.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypertension, peptic ulcers, prostate cancer, and valvular heart disease due to inadequate VA examinations that did not consider the Veteran's exposure to ionizing radiation.

The Board granted service connection for various conditions, including neck disability manifested by pain and diabetes mellitus type II, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral knee degenerative arthritis. The other conditions were also granted as they are caused by the now-service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Board granted service connection for sleep apnea, finding it at least as likely as not that the condition was caused by an in-service injury or event and/or is proximately due or aggravated beyond its natural progression by the Veteran's service-connected deviated nasal septum s/p septoplasty. The Board denied service connection for a heart condition.

The Board granted an effective date of May 20, 2024 for the award of a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft and right bundle branch block, but no earlier. The Board also granted an effective date of June 28, 2024 for the award of a 50 percent rating for unspecified anxiety disorder, but no earlier.

The Board granted an effective date of March 2, 2023 for heart disease and September 28, 2023 for chronic renal failure, while denying earlier effective dates for PTSD, migraines, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss. The Board also granted a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability as there is no current diagnosis of a heart condition or symptoms associated with a heart condition that result in functional impairment of earning capacity.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for hypertension, heart disease, kidney condition, diabetes, left lower extremity neuropathy, left upper extremity neuropathy, right lower extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, depression, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran was granted a 10 percent initial rating for hypertension and special monthly compensation at the rate authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 1114(m), (n), and (r)(1) effective from August 10, 2022, to November 7, 2024.

The Board remands the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and atherosclerotic heart disease due to the interwoven issue of character of discharge.

The Board remands the claims for further development as there has not been substantial compliance with previous remand instructions.

The Board denied service connection for prostate and heart disabilities as there was no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents, and the conditions were not shown to be related to service on a direct basis.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, as well as special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate.