Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need for medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's pancreatic cancer and its relationship to service, as well as whether coronary artery disease with unstable angina contributed to or caused the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, diabetic nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathies have been granted service connection due to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and further review is required. The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability, including hospital acquired infection, is now pending.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU from March 5, 2023, to August 3, 2023, due to his service-connected disabilities including ischemic heart disease and lumbosacral strain. The Board found that the Veteran's disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable prior to August 9, 2011. The Board finds that the evidence does not show any single disability preventing the Veteran from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's cause of death was listed as cardiogenic shock, STEMI, and ventricular tachycardia. The Board has determined that the service connection for the cause of death should be remanded due to a lack of military personnel records and inadequate medical opinions regarding causation.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his service in Thailand. The claims are now resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, ischemic heart disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (diabetes), have caused him to require the aid and attendance of another person for his activities of daily living. The Board has granted entitlement to special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has dismissed all appeals to readjudicate service connection for various conditions due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are denied. The Board found that the criteria for an earlier effective date were not met in several cases, including TDIU, DEA benefits, service connection for coronary artery disease, SMC under 38 U.S.C. § 1114(s), and sleep apnea.,The Veteran's PTSD with secondary alcohol abuse in remission and bipolar disorder is rated at the maximum available rating of 70%.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for an earlier effective date for CAD and granted restoration of a 60 percent rating for CAD, effective from January 12, 2021. The claims for higher ratings for PTSD, dry mouth with tooth loss, and TDIU prior to November 9, 2020 are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has dismissed the issues of whether new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate claims for migraines, tinnitus, left wrist disability, right wrist disability, heart disability (also claimed as arrhythmia), and neck disability due to a claims processing error.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted due to the PACT Act presumption of herbicide exposure, as he served in Thailand during the Vietnam Era. The Board found that his duties did not place him on or near the perimeters of RTAFB, but they were close enough to be presumed exposed under the PACT Act.

The Veteran's death was caused by advanced coronary artery disease, which the Board found to be related to service. Service connection for cause of death is granted, and DIC benefits are dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection.

The Board has denied the claims for service connection for ruptured aortic dissection and hypertensive heart disease, as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions. The cause of death was listed as ruptured aortic dissection, but there is no evidence linking this to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's heart disability, COPD, and prostate disability. The AOJ is instructed to obtain additional medical opinions addressing these issues.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam, which qualifies as presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's congestive heart failure and non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy are being remanded for further development, specifically to obtain consent forms related to his treatment at the Gainesville VA Medical Center in 2015-2016.

The Veteran's CAD rating is denied for a period from October 7, 2015 to January 31, 2016 and in excess of 60 percent thereafter.,An initial 20 percent rating for coronary artery bypass graft scars under DC 7804 is granted effective February 1, 2016.,The Veteran's effective date for the initial 10 percent rating for coronary artery bypass graft scars under DC 7801 is granted as October 8, 2015.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for coronary artery disease was denied, as the evidence did not show functional impairment equivalent to more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure in the past year or workload of greater than 5 METs but not greater than 10 METs results in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope.,The Veteran's PTSD with generalized anxiety disorder was granted a higher initial rating to 70 percent from May 24, 2010, through July 11, 2022. The maximum allowable compensation under the rating schedule is assigned after that date.,TDIU was granted prior to July 12, 2022, based on evidence showing the Veteran's inability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.