Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU entitlement, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining gainful employment prior to October 3, 2013.

The Veteran's prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, coronary artery disease, hypertension, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are all granted as service-connected due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board has remanded the claim for further development to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while serving in Korea, flying in and out of the DMZ as a medical specialist.

The Veteran's CAD was granted a rating of 60 percent from February 14, 2018 to May 14, 2018. From May 15, 2018 onwards, the claim for an increased rating is denied. The TDIU claim is also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathy with CTS of the upper extremities and lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment prior to November 17, 2022.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart condition, including right bundle branch block, finding that the Veteran's condition began during his military service and is not a congenital defect or disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including nonischemic heart disease, AICD, status post myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation, as these conditions are not related to his military service or exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that there is no evidence linking the current heart disabilities to his in-service injuries.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claim of a higher initial evaluation for his service-connected coronary artery disease. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence linking the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability or active duty service, including in-service complaints of dyspnea, to his cause of death. The appellant is asked to provide any additional medical records and a VA clinician will be requested to provide an opinion on whether there is a relationship between the Veteran's depression and his coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence and the need for an addendum VA medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disability, asthma, COPD, radiculopathy of the upper and lower extremities, prostate cancer, and CAD.,Service connection was not granted for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's cause of death, multi-system organ failure following a heart transplant, was found to be related to his service-connected ischemic heart disease, which the Board determined was caused by his in-service asbestos exposure. The appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition is not caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and therefore denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, is remanded. The Board notes that the Veteran has a history of heart treatment and a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy. A medical opinion is needed regarding whether his diagnosed heart disability is at least as likely as not related to his presumed herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to exposure to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange exposure while stationed in Thailand. The appellant is seeking presumptive service connection based on her husband's alleged exposure to herbicides during his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for heart disability, sleep disability (including insomnia and OSA), left ankle disability, right ankle disability, and cervical spine disability due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed since withdrawn. The appeal to establish entitlement to service connection for migraine headaches, secondary to service-connected posttraumatic seizures, is remanded.

The Board has found that there has not been substantial compliance with the terms of its previous remand instructions. Further remand is necessary to obtain all VA treatment records from 1999 to the present and to verify the Veteran's alleged service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease are granted, with the latter being supported by a VA medical opinion linking it to herbicide exposure.