Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error, including obtaining missing service treatment records and conducting VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors and recent passage of the PACT Act. The appellant's service connection claims will be reconsidered in light of these issues.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's hypertension is currently rated at 40 percent, and the Board denies an increased rating.,The Veteran's heart condition is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that this rating is appropriate.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied, with the exception of the award of an effective date earlier than April 16, 2019 for the assignment of a 20 percent rating for diabetes mellitus (DM).,All other issues related to service connection or increased ratings have been dismissed due to lack of pending claims.

The Board has remanded the claim due to a duty to assist error regarding psychiatric disorders related to service-connected disabilities. The appellant contends that the Veteran's death was caused by his military service and/or his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to the need for additional development and clarification of opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ear and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for residuals of a hernia is granted as it is secondary to his service-connected heart disease.,The Veteran's claim for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is denied, as there is no evidence linking the condition to active service or any service-connected disability.

The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease to obtain a more thorough medical opinion addressing the etiology of the condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to procedural errors and inadequate development of his exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to a lack of VA examination, and requests that any evidence not considered by the AOJ be reconsidered.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for arteriosclerotic heart disease (ischemic heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, with congestive heart failure) was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for an earlier effective date.,The Appellant's claim for an earlier effective date for eczema and stasis dermatitis was granted based on continuous pursuit of the claim.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease, finding that the Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability due to exposure to herbicides. The case is being remanded because of an error in notifying the Veteran of his right to a pre-decisional hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease with valvular heart disease and hypertensive heart disease has been rated at 100 percent since December 14, 2022. The AOJ is remanded to provide a detailed explanation of the retroactive compensation amount he was paid.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings, TDIU, and DEA are being remanded due to the need to obtain federal records from the Office of Workers' Compensation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) is being remanded due to the need to verify his in-service exposure to herbicide agents and consider new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's initial rating for CAD is granted at a 60 percent level prior to August 25, 2022. An increased rating in excess of 60 percent from that date is denied. SMC at the housebound rate is granted since March 9, 2021. The Veteran's initial rating for diabetes mellitus remains unchanged. Service connection for erectile dysfunction and nerve impairments are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for eye disability, kidney disability, and an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease were denied. The earlier effective date claim for the grant of a 100 percent rating for coronary artery disease was also denied.,An increase in the Veteran's rating from 60 to 100 percent for coronary artery disease is not warranted, as there is no medical documentation supporting such an increase prior to the March 2024 VA examination.

The Board granted the Veteran's claim for beneficiary travel benefits for ambulance transportation to the Iowa City VAMC on November 15, 2019. The decision was based on the evidence showing that the Veteran had an emergent condition and was transported from his home to a non-VA emergency room and then to the VA Medical Center in Iowa City.