Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient development and lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay assertions regarding his heart pain.

Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. Service connection is also granted for chronic kidney disease, right eye diabetic retinopathy, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy as secondary to service-connected diabetes. Service connection is granted for congestive heart failure as secondary to coronary artery disease. The case is remanded for additional opinions on toxic optic neuropathy with altitudinal visual field defect and a heart disorder other than coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's heart disease is rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 29, 2019, for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for ischemic cardiomyopathy with supraventricular arrhythmia and valvular heart disease (Post-CABG, Post-MVR) has been denied.,The Veteran's claims for a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of chest pain was denied in 1986, and the Board found that this could reasonably be construed as a claim for coronary artery disease. However, no diagnosis of CAD or any other presumptive condition was made until after August 2010 when ischemic heart disease (which includes CAD) was added to the list of disorders presumptively associated with Agent Orange exposure. As such, there were no pending claims at the time of the Veteran's death and he was not in receipt of service connection benefits for any disabilities at that time.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from February 20, 2013, to October 16, 2018.

The Veteran's service connection claims for DM2 and CAD are granted. The Board also finds that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents in Thailand, which is sufficient to grant service connection for his peripheral neuropathy conditions and kidney disorder as secondary to his now-service-connected DM2.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, multiple myeloma, prostate cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma on a presumptive basis due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. Service connection for carcinoma is remanded as there was not sufficient evidence provided by the RO.

The Board has found the VA Centralized Eligibility and Appeals Team (CEAT) review inadequate to support the decision that the Veteran is not eligible for PCAFC benefits. The case is remanded for a new medical review considering all pertinent evidence, including recent assessments of the Veteran's care needs.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease, diabetes, and diabetic peripheral neuropathy have been denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents while stationed near the air base perimeter of U-Tapao Airfield in Thailand.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, bilateral upper and lower extremity neuropathy, diabetes mellitus type II, and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to engage in substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether his service-connected conditions preclude him from working.

The Veteran's prostate cancer and coronary artery disease are granted service connection as they are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition, including pericarditis, was not incurred or aggravated during his active duty service and is not otherwise related to an in-service injury. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete opinions and need for further examination. The Veteran's gastrointestinal disability and heart disability are being reviewed, as they may be related to service-connected hypertension.

Service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted under the PACT Act. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, and congestive heart failure, is granted as service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his service in Thailand.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for coronary artery disease have been remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of coronary artery disease (CAD) as there was no evidence showing CAD was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus denying a TDIU on both schedular and extraschedular grounds prior to July 13, 2017.