Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for sleep apnea, ischemic heart disease, hypertension, gastrointestinal disability (GERD), and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to insufficient medical evidence on file. The Veteran must be provided with VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the service connection for a heart disability as secondary to service-connected ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbosacral spine, satisfied with his current 100 percent disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for OSA, a heart condition (aortic stenosis), and hypertension as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart/cardiovascular disorder and the Veteran's cause of death due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives and need for updated opinion regarding herbicide exposure.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, sleep apnea, and heart condition as not related to active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder (RBBB) as no new and material evidence had been received to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's heart disorder claim is remanded due to incomplete service treatment records and outstanding VA medical records. The AOJ must obtain these records and conduct further development.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease, status post myocardial infarction, is rated at 30 percent and the Board has remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The Veteran's CAD does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 60 percent, and his PTSD meets the criteria for ratings in excess of 30 percent prior to January 15, 2018, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to November 19, 2015.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether hypertension is related to service-connected coronary artery disease and whether it is linked to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's representative also requested an opinion on the relationship between chronic pain and hypertension.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions have been remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including bilateral knee chondrocalcinosis and peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, were not found to be causally related to his active military service. The Board denied claims for service connection based on direct evidence and denied all other issues due to lack of a probative nexus between current disabilities and service.

The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis status post C2 fracture was improper, and the 20 percent rating is restored.,Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected a fracture of the right radial styloid is denied.,Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected hypertensive heart disease with left ventricular dysfunction and an ejection fraction greater than 50 percent but less than 7 METs resulting in relevant symptomatology is denied.,Entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for service-connected anxiety is denied.,Entitlement to a compensable disability rating for service-connected right wrist scar is denied.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to have been incurred in wartime service due to herbicide agent exposure. The Board granted service connection for this condition.,The cause of the Veteran’s death, cardiomyopathy, was found to be caused by his now service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for coronary artery disease is denied. The Board also finds that the issue of TDIU should be remanded as it was not part and parcel of his active claim for an increase in ratings, but rather a separate claim.

The Board has granted a TDIU rating prior to April 20, 2015 based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendering him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, finding that he did not have a current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease or coronary heart disease and has not had one at any time during the pendency of the claim. The Board also found no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension has been granted. The effective date is not specified as it was received after September 15, 2015.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's heart condition and his military service.