Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2025

The Board remands the appeal to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the potential service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically focusing on the roles of PTSD and CAD in aggravating other conditions that contributed to his death.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of the Veteran's cause of death to obtain a new medical opinion addressing whether the Veteran's cold injury residuals contributed to and worsened his coronary artery disease, which was a contributory cause of his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection for any of the conditions appealed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100 percent rating for ischemic heart disease, finding that it is not factually ascertainable that his disability increased in severity within one year prior to March 20, 2023.

The Board remands the claim for further development to verify whether the Veteran's ship, USS Barbey, was within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of Vietnam between January 1975 and May 7, 1975.

The Board remands the Veteran's claims for service connection to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for hypothyroidism, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and peripheral neuropathy to obtain additional research and medical opinions regarding potential exposures.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, type II, and lung cancer as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service exposure to herbicides or that these conditions were related to service. The cause of death was also denied.

The Board granted service connection for chronic atrial fibrillation status post ablation, heart condition, and mitral valve regurgitation based on the evidence showing that these conditions are related to the Veteran's period of active service.

The Board granted service connection for depressive disorder with anxious distress, effective February 18, 2022, and granted a 20 percent rating for the lumbar spine disability from March 6, 2017 to June 4, 2018, and again from July 27, 2021 to May 5, 2022.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 60 percent for service-connected coronary artery disease and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to the service-connected disability.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for prostate disability, diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, kidney disability, and heart disability to correct a duty to assist error related to verifying in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board granted an effective date of February 15, 2023, for the grant of TDIU and an increased disability rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease status post stent implantation, status post myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) status post stent replacement, finding no evidence that the condition began during service or is related to an in-service injury.

The appeal for service connection for prostate cancer and coronary artery disease, claimed as heart disease, has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for sleep apnea, foot fungus, coronary artery disease (CAD), left knee disorder, diabetes mellitus, type II, macular degeneration, acquired psychiatric disorder, and right knee disorder to correct pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for coronary artery disease with stable angina and remanded the claim for service connection for left renal mass.

The Board remands the claim for service connection of the cause of death to correct duty to assist errors that occurred prior to the May 2020 rating decision on appeal.

The Board dismissed the appeal for higher initial ratings for coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft and coronary angioplasty and coronary surgical scars of the chest, abdomen, left upper extremity, and left lower extremity.

The Board granted an effective date of November 30, 2018 for the award of service connection for heart disability and denied an earlier effective date for migraines.