Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2025

The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, and hypertension. The claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions were denied or remanded.

The Board granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due exclusively to service connected arteriosclerotic heart disease, effective July 20, 2020.

The appeal of entitlement to service connection for a mental health disorder, claimed as anxiety and depression, is dismissed. The claims for service connection for heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular accident (CVA), bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation with cardiac pacemaker, testicular hypofunction, and chronic pain syndrome are denied.

The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease and denied an increased rating for adjustment disorder with anxiety, while granting an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for adjustment disorder with anxiety.

The Board granted service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and an initial rating of 30 percent for arteriosclerotic heart disease (CAD) with presence of coronary angioplasty implant and graft. Other claims were denied.

The Board granted service connection for hypertension, renal cyst, renal toxicity, and coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to the service-connected conditions. Scleroderma was denied.

The Veteran's claim for presumptive service connection for hypertension is granted, while the claims for service connection for a cardiovascular disease and shortness of breath are remanded.

The Board denied initial disability ratings in excess of 30 percent prior to September 21, 2023, and 60 percent thereafter for bradycardia with CAD, but granted a temporary total evaluation from January 15, 2023 to February 15, 2023.

The Board denied service connection for a headache disorder, head injury, hypothyroidism, and heart disorder as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active military service or a service-connected disability.

The Board granted service connection for non-obstructive coronary artery disease and denied service connection for a heart attack and valvular heart disease.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for soft tissue carcinoma, kidney condition, and heart condition(s) due to inadequate VA medical opinions.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for cause of death due to the inextricably intertwined pending issues of entitlement to service connection.

The Board granted service connection for non-obstructive coronary artery disease and denied service connection for a heart attack and valvular heart disease.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus, heart disability, liver disability, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right hip disability, left hip disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, and bilateral pes planus. The appeal seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a right knee disability, and a left knee disability was dismissed.

The Board granted an earlier effective date of September 13, 2018, for the 100 percent disability rating for PTSD and granted service connection for a heart condition. The reduction of the disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was upheld.

The Board remands the issues of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 30 percent prior to October 17, 2012, and in excess of 60 percent thereafter for service-connected coronary artery disease and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to April 9, 2012, for further development.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart and prostate disabilities to ensure that VA has met its duty to assist by obtaining outstanding private medical treatment records.

The Veteran has withdrawn the appeal for service connection claims, and there is no case or controversy for adjudication.

The claims for earlier effective dates and service connection for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were dismissed as freestanding claims are impermissible under the law. The claim for a higher rating for PTSD was remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for all the claimed conditions as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or etiological relationship to active duty service.