Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has found that the AOJ did not substantially comply with its previous instructions and remanded the claims again. The new opinions are also inadequate, as they do not adequately address the Veteran's lay statements about his symptoms in service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for beneficiary travel benefits associated with his VA medical appointments on specific dates, finding that the distances from his addresses to the Dallas VAMC are approximately the same.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a heart condition, finding that the Veteran's heart condition was not caused by VA care and did not result from any fault on the part of VA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions and consideration of all relevant evidence, including articles submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA medical opinions regarding the Veteran's cardiovascular disease and lower back condition. The claim for service connection for these conditions is being returned for further development.

The appeal for service connection for tonsil cancer and larynx injury is dismissed. Service connection for hypothyroidism and hypertension has been granted, while soft tissue sarcoma remains denied. The appeals for ischemic heart disease, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and COPD are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of a heart disability was denied as the October 2015 rating decision denying service connection became final and not appealable. The Board found no legal basis for an earlier effective date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to December 30, 2022, finding that it was not factually ascertainable that he became unemployable within one year prior to his formal TDIU claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of consideration of whether service connection could have been awarded under a direct theory of entitlement or presumptive exposure.

The Veteran's entitlement to service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to his service-connected residuals of pneumonia, including bronchitis and restriction, is granted.,The Veteran's entitlement to service connection for a heart disability as secondary to his service-connected obstructive sleep apnea is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's congenital heart defect and valvular heart disease were caused or aggravated by service, as well as their onset during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, chronic kidney disease, COPD, coronary artery disease/congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus II, and hypertension due to exposure to asbestos while serving as a machinist mate in the Navy. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions based on the Veteran's service history and any other relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 24, 2020, for the award of service connection for valvular heart disease was denied as the entitlement to service connection arose on March 24, 2020, when he was granted service connection for hypertension and PTSD.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type 2 and ischemic heart disease due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, which suggests possible exposure to herbicide agents during his deployment in Korea. The VA will now seek verification of this exposure and provide additional medical opinions on the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's heart conditions are remanded due to a duty-to-assist error, specifically the need for an addendum VA medical opinion regarding his presumed in-service exposure to herbicide agents and participation in TERA.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and will need additional medical opinions on whether the Veteran's heart conditions are caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, hypertension, or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's heart condition, including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome and atypical chest pain, is granted as a qualifying chronic disability under the Persian Gulf Veterans' Act.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives and potential exposure to herbicide agents during service. Additional deck logs are needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed in areas where herbicide agent exposure is presumed.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective date and service connection for various types of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, as well as coronary artery disease with stent placement.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for residual scarring status post CABG.