Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus type II has been granted due to the submission of new evidence. The claim for service connection for CAD is remanded as there is a current diagnosis and some indication of a potential relationship with in-service exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease, hypertension (pursuant to the PACT Act), emphysema with endobronchial valve in left lung, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, a left shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral disability (lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease), and a left knee condition are granted.,The Veteran's service connection claims for emphysema with endobronchial valve in left lung, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, a left shoulder condition with degenerative arthritis, lumbosacral disability (lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease), and a left knee condition are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for coronary artery disease and recurrent forehead trauma residuals due to a pre-decisional error in not considering evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran is seeking a higher rate of SMC based on aid and attendance, which requires evidence showing he is in need of regular assistance due to his service-connected conditions. The Board finds that the Veteran has been shown to be in need of such assistance since December 3, 2014.

The Veteran's hypertensive heart disease with angina is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 60 percent.,The Veteran's irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and persistent fistula are both rated at 30 percent, effective March 7, 2022.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and etiology of his lumbar spine, right shoulder, left shoulder, gastrointestinal (Crohn's disease), and heart disabilities. The Veteran must be provided with VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, hypoparathyroidism, diabetes mellitus type 2, peripheral neuropathies of the upper and lower extremities, atrial fibrillation, and chloracne scar are all denied as there is no credible evidence of herbicide exposure in service.

The Veteran's earlier effective date claim for service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea is dismissed as the March 2022 rating decision did not become final due to continuous pursuit of the claim. The TDIU claim remains pending.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and heart disease were all found to be incurred during service. The Board granted the claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, with congestive heart failure, cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation and AICD is secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The evidence supports this finding.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him permanently bedridden or unable to care for his daily needs without requiring the regular aid and attendance of another person. He is not substantially confined to his house due to service-connected disabilities, nor does he have a single service-connected disability ratable at 100 percent along with other unrelated disabilities that combine to at least 60 percent.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of his coronary artery disease (CAD) is denied as there were no communications from the Veteran prior to January 21, 2010 that can be construed as a pending formal or informal claim. The current effective date of January 21, 2010 precedes the liberalizing law that included ischemic heart disease in the list of diseases presumed to be caused by exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's CAD disability was reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent, but the Board has granted a restoration of the 30 percent rating effective January 4, 2022.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the inextricability of his service connection claims for arteriosclerotic heart disease, s/p stents implant, myocardial perfusion fixed inferior wall defect, hypertension, and seizure disorder. The appropriate remedy is to remand the TDIU claim pending resolution of these service connection claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back condition and heart condition due to insufficient information regarding their etiology. The VA is required to provide an adequate medical opinion on these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected cardiac disabilities resulted in symptoms of fatigue at a workload of more than three but fewer than five METs, warranting a 60 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 100 percent for residuals of thrombosis of the brain vessels with dementia has been denied as he is currently receiving the maximum schedular rating. The claim for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance of another person (A&A) has been granted effective March 2, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for type I diabetes, blurry vision, headaches, a heart condition, insomnia, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to the Veteran's military service.,Service connection was denied because there is no medical evidence showing that any of these conditions began during or were otherwise caused by the Veteran's active service.

The Board has denied service connection for coronary artery disease and remanded the left ankle condition claim due to insufficient evidence.