Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2026

The Board has remanded the claims for left and right knee disabilities due to insufficient evidence considering the appellant's lay assertions.

The Board has denied service connection for a heart disability, neck disability, and nose/sinus disability as the evidence does not support a link to active duty or reserve service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is remanded due to the need for a medical opinion regarding exposure to burn pits during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 is denied as there is no valid diagnosis of the condition.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) is denied due to lack of evidence showing heart failure symptoms at a workload of 3.1-5.0 METs.

The Veteran is granted an earlier effective date of January 9, 2023 for a 70% evaluation for PTSD with alcohol use disorder and for individual unemployability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance for automobile or other conveyance and adaptive equipment, as none of his conditions qualify under the specific provisions set forth in the regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been dismissed due to his death while the appeal was pending.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a 50% rating for anxiety disorder and alcohol dependence is denied. The effective date cannot be earlier than January 24, 2023, as there is no evidence of an increase in disability within one year prior to this date.

The Board has restored service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Diabetes Mellitus type II, Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower left extremity sciatic nerve, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower right extremity sciatic nerve, and Hypertension. The Board found that the original grant of service connection was not clearly erroneous due to the Veteran's exposure along the DMZ in Korea.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of heart conditions was granted with an effective date of June 11, 2020. The claim had been continuously pursued since the receipt of a VA Form 21-0966 on that date.

The Veteran's appeal for earlier effective dates for the award of service connection and increased rating for ischemic heart disease was dismissed as it is not a valid freestanding claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease with valve replacement residuals is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for hypertension on a direct basis is denied as there was no evidence of the condition during active service or within one year after separation. The claims for recurrent gastrointestinal disability and erectile dysfunction are remanded.

The Board denied the reduction of the additional monthly allowance of DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1311(a)(2) because the Veteran's service-connected disabilities were not rated at 100% for a continuous period of at least 8 years immediately preceding his death.

The Veteran's right shoulder condition, diabetes mellitus type II (diabetes), eye condition, heart condition, prostate cancer and residuals of prostate cancer, and bilateral diabetic peripheral neuropathy are all granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his service connection claims. The VA will obtain these necessary evaluations in order to provide a proper determination.

The Veteran withdrew all pending appeals, including those for initial compensable rating for sensorineural hearing loss and service connection for chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), coronary heart disease, hypertension, left and right sciatic radulopathy pain and hypoesthesia of the lower extremities, and restless leg syndrome, left and right legs.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's cause of death, including small cell lung cancer and coronary artery disease, was related to his in-service asbestos exposure. The VA must obtain an adequate opinion from a clinician.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the claim of entitlement to an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease status-post myocardial infarction with ventricular arrhythmia due to procedural errors and need for additional evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The Veteran's OSA is related to his active military service, exposure at Camp Lejeune, and obesity as an intermediate step. Further examination and opinion are needed.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU effective February 25, 2025. Additionally, the Board found that he met the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate from this date.,The decision also noted that the Veteran's unemployability could be based on either his PTSD or CAD alone, given their combined disability rating of 60%.