Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease should be remanded to obtain additional medical records and to provide an addendum opinion from the May 2011 VA examiner.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes mellitus and orthopedic conditions, are found to be in equipoise with his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment. Therefore, the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities have been met.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for coronary artery disease with hypertension prior to August 26, 2006 and granted a 60 percent rating beginning on August 26, 2006.

The Veteran's total combined rating for service-connected disabilities is 90 percent, rendering him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and a hiatal hernia, both secondary to his service-connected duodenal ulcer. The evidence did not support the presence of these conditions or their relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of revised VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a travel board hearing and considering additional evidence. The Veteran's claims of service connection for convulsive disorder and coronary artery disease are pending.

The Board has found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease are presumptively related to his in-service herbicide exposure, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding his claimed conditions, including renal cell carcinoma, liver disorder, pancreatic disorder, heart disease, and hypertension.

The Veteran's heart disability, including his heart transplant and AICD, is currently rated at 60 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.,Veteran has three surgical scars from his heart transplant, but they are not considered disabling enough to warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of diabetes mellitus and TDIU was denied as his service-connected conditions do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board has dismissed the claim of entitlement to TDIU and denied claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and coronary artery disease. The partial grant includes a compensable disability rating for a burn scar of the right thigh and initial increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus, and asthma were denied as there was no evidence of their onset in service or within one year thereafter. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not establish a presumption of exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's valvular heart disease with mitral and aortic insufficiency is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that this rating does not meet the criteria for an increased evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any service-connected disabilities and therefore cannot meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound status. The claim for service connection for various conditions is also denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction are all service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his military service in Vietnam.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected mood disorder did not cause his death, as there was no evidence of consistent noncompliance with treatment and other factors such as dementia were noted to be contributing causes.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during service, and thus could not establish presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus or heart disease. The claims were denied as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his ischemic heart disease prior to September 20, 2013 has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.