Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, coronary artery disease with coronary artery bypass graft residuals, right lower extremity peripheral vascular disease with below the knee amputation residuals, and left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease, all of which are related to the Veteran's service-connected adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.

The Board denied service connection for atrial septal defect, a congenital defect, as it was not subject to a superimposed disease or injury during active service that resulted in additional disability.

The Board remands the case to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence regarding the Veteran's cause of death, specifically addressing theories related to diabetes, coronary artery disease, and a potential psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and coronary artery disease, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and he required regular aid and attendance due to his health conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore, a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is granted.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus, granted an initial 30 percent rating for the acquired psychiatric disability prior to April 22, 2019 and a 50 percent rating from April 22, 2019 to December 26, 2019, but denied a rating in excess of 50 percent thereafter. The Board also denied a rating in excess of 30 percent for ischemic heart disease.

The Board granted an effective date of April 26, 2021, for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease and dependency benefits for F.W., but denied earlier effective dates for chest scarring and a scar on the left medial distal thigh, as well as higher ratings for coronary artery disease.

The appeal of the January 2024 proposal to reduce the disability rating from 30 percent disabling to 10 percent for coronary artery disease is dismissed. The Board also denied service connection for various conditions, including chronic fatigue syndrome and posttraumatic stress disorder with traumatic brain injury residuals.

The Veteran's service-connected major depressive disorder, with psychotic features and anxious distress, is granted a 100 percent rating effective February 22, 2021. The appeal for service connection for a heart condition and TDIU is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his service-connected coronary artery disease did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, Meniere's disease, and restless arm and leg syndromes on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam. It also granted earlier effective dates for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as an initial 100 percent rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board remands the claim for an addendum medical opinion to address the Veteran's contentions regarding a defective stent and additional cardiac disability.

The Board denied service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension as these conditions were not related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied the surviving spouse's claim for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation because the Veteran was not rated totally disabled for the required periods under 38 U.S.C. § 1318, with a peak combined disability rating of 80 percent. The Board remanded three issues: entitlement to survivor's pension benefits, entitlement to TDIU based on a pending March 2020 Supplemental Claim, and entitlement to service connection for cause of death, requiring a new VA medical opinion addressing the interplay between the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, hypertension, COPD, and herbicide exposure under PACT Act provisions.

The Board denied service connection for hyperlipidemia and remanded the claims for anemia, chronic kidney disease, heart disability (including atrial fibrillation), vascular disability, and vitamin D deficiency due to inadequate medical evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including service connection for hypertension.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, and left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to further development needed.

The Board granted a 10 percent rating for hypertension and denied an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease.

The Board granted service connection for chest pain, to include hypertensive heart disease, and denied an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension. The claim for obstructive sleep apnea was dismissed as untimely.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease and prostate cancer, as there was no evidence that a claim or intent to file such claims were submitted prior to June 1, 2022.