Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 24, 2011, for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure is denied as he did not file his original claim within one year of discharge from service and no earlier effective date is warranted due to lack of legal eligibility.

The Veteran's bilateral lumbar radiculopathy is found to be related to his service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease L1-L2, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection and compensation for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim or entitlement to such benefits.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a heart disability, but the appeal is remanded due to incomplete personnel records and potential exposure to herbicides near the Korean DMZ. The Board will determine if the Veteran's units were in an area where herbicides were applied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding herbicide exposure and a need for a VA examination to determine if prostate cancer or heart disease is related to in-service exposure to specific chemicals.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted service connection, but a higher initial rating of over 70% is denied. The Veteran was also granted TDIU status.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are at least as likely as not of such severity as to prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, thus meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and the Board dismissed this issue. The special monthly pension claim based on aid and attendance and housebound status was not granted.

The Veteran's hypertension was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The Veteran's currently diagnosed hypertension is not shown to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.,Since the initial grant of service connection, the Veteran's coronary artery disease has been manifested by a left ventricular ejection fraction ranging from 45 to 50 percent; and there has been no showing of chronic congestive heart failure or a workload of 3 metabolic equivalents (METs) resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, or syncope. The Veteran's coronary artery disease is currently evaluated at 60%.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's hypertension is proximately due to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examination. The service connection claim is inextricably intertwined with the 1151 claim.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence of a prior formal or informal claim filed before September 30, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess his employability status due to service-connected disabilities, and for clarification on whether he desires a hearing.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and CAD, as well as his claim for a TDIU, are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and a heart disorder, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease prior to July 22, 2009. As such, the effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease remains at July 22, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues related to effective dates for service connection and disability ratings. The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining results of VA January 2008 vascular studies and/or EKG study, reviewing all relevant evidence added since the April 2012 statement of the case, and issuing a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and a need for an opinion on whether service-connected lumbar spine disabilities aggravate any heart disorders. The Veteran is scheduled for a Travel Board hearing at the local RO in Reno, Nevada.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and any available letter from Dr. K.