Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the issue of service connection for a heart condition. The Veteran's seizures were rated as 40% disabling from March 6, 2014 and granted TDIU effective July 2, 2010. SMC A&A was also granted effective March 6, 2014.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The Veteran's CAD has been granted a 30 percent rating effective May 31, 2011, and a 60 percent rating effective April 4, 2012. His diabetes mellitus, type II, is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 20 percent for each affected extremity. The Veteran's peripheral neuropathies are all rated at the maximum schedular ratings. Effective dates have been granted for various conditions and disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete compliance with prior remand directives and failure to obtain additional medical records. The Veteran's cause of death is related to ischemic heart disease, but service connection for this condition remains unclear.

The Veteran's service-connected heart disability has been of sufficient severity to produce unemployability, and a TDIU is granted. The initial rating for coronary artery disease remains at 60 percent.

The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disorder and heart disorder due to in-service exposure to hazardous chemicals, including asbestos, battery fluid, or diesel fuel. The Veteran's conditions were not shown to be causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a disability manifested by malaise, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have all been denied.,Service connection has not been established for any of these conditions on a direct basis due to lack of evidence showing their onset during active duty service or being related to such service.

The Veteran's cardiovascular disability, diagnosed as coronary artery disease, is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service in Thailand. The Board found the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents and thus his condition is presumed related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial 100 percent disability rating for coronary artery disease (CAD) status post coronary artery bypass grafting is granted. The claim for a noncompensable disability rating for the surgical scar secondary to his service-connected CAD is denied. The effective date of the grant of service connection for CAD status post coronary artery bypass grafting with surgical scar is set at October 26, 2017.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's tinnitus disability remains at a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum schedular rating available.,For the period from March 1, 2017 to May 18, 2017, and since September 1, 2017, the Veteran’s coronary artery bypass graft disability warrants a 60 percent rating. For the period prior to June 7, 2017, the Veteran's TDIU claim is granted.,The Veteran meets criteria for a schedular TDIU since June 2017 due to his service-connected disabilities.

Effective dates of April 21, 2014 are granted for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II (DM2) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Effective dates prior to April 21, 2014 are denied for all other issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's death and service.

The Board denied the petitions to reopen claims for service connection of heart disorder, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The evidence did not establish a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents during his military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, and hypertension. The heart condition (claimed as ischemic heart disease) is granted with service connection based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service.

The Board has granted service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus, but the heart disorder claim is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his heart, diabetes, stroke, and lung disabilities due to insufficient examination reports. The claims are remanded for additional development including obtaining VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating for CAD, as the most probative examination indicated a METs score of 1-3 due solely to service-connected conditions, which is below the threshold for a higher rating.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no service connection was granted for any of the conditions or issues.

The Veteran's cause of death, cardio-respiratory failure with metastatic cancer, is not service connected as the evidence does not show that his renal cell carcinoma was related to or caused by service, including exposure to herbicides. The Board found no causal relationship between the Veteran’s active service and his diagnosed IHD or DMII.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for a left knee condition, back condition, heart condition and bilateral shoulder condition due to their inextricability with the Veteran's TDIU claim.