Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease prior to February 10, 2023 was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 60 percent. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for major depressive disorder was also denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and tremors of the upper extremities have been granted. The decision is based on presumptive exposure to herbicides during active duty in Vietnam, with the presumption extended to those who served offshore of Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) status post myocardial infarction is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hypertension is denied. The effective date of service connection for hypertension was denied as the PACT Act does not allow retroactive application.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his service at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base.

The Board has identified errors in the rating decisions and is remanding the claims for service connection for coronary bypass, myocardial infarction, and dyspnea to allow for further review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not require regular aid and attendance, thus denying his claim for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's right ear condition with dizziness is granted service connection. The claims for left ear, heart, chest pain, prostate, stomach, neck, back, hip, ankle, and foot conditions are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to restore a 60 percent evaluation for coronary artery disease status post stents, which was previously reduced to 10 percent effective March 1, 2022.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including ischemic heart disease and coronary artery disease. The evidence shows current diagnoses of these conditions but does not establish a link to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and ischemic heart condition (claimed atrial fibrillation) as there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hypertension and its secondary effects on other conditions. The decision found that there was no evidence of these conditions during active duty or ACDUTRA, and thus could not be granted based on presumptive service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of February 22, 2016 for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance. The evidence did not show that the Veteran required such aid prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction residuals, and stenting was dismissed due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's service-connected systolic heart murmur, diagnosed as valvular heart disease, is now rated at a 60 percent disability rating effective from the date of this decision.

The Veteran's heart disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, are granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicides in Korea. Other conditions like diabetes mellitus, type II, hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, peripheral neuropathies, and erectile dysfunction are also granted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable due to their severity.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 100% rating for his service-connected heart disability is denied. The Board finds that the May 2020 Higher-Level Review decision, which continued the 60% rating, became final and there was no continuous pursuit of the April 2019 claims within one year prior to June 14, 2020 when the TDIU claim was filed. The matter of a TDIU is remanded for referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service.

The Veteran's application for Legacy S-DVI was denied because it was not filed within the two-year period after he received a compensable disability rating, and there is no evidence of mental incompetence. The Veteran had hypertension rated as at least 10 percent disabling since August 2022.

The Board has identified errors in the duty to assist and is remanding the case for a new VA addendum opinion to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's heart disorder, including stress-induced symptoms during service.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating above 60 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) has been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of the appeal.