Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and right hip arthritis have been granted. The remaining issues, including increased ratings for various finger disabilities and TDIU, are remanded for further development.

The Board has restored service connection for heart disease, finding that the original grant was not due to clear and unmistakable error.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation since January 31, 2008. The Board has granted an extraschedular TDIU rating for this period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cold injury sequela peripheral sensory neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities and bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy/carpal tunnel syndrome are being remanded.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an anxiety disorder is being remanded, as well as his eligibility for benefits for the period from August 22, 2013 to March 1, 2018. The TDIU prior to September 19, 2018 is also being remanded.,The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of a TDIU is inextricably intertwined with these issues and must be addressed as well.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his ischemic heart disease, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating higher than 10 percent from May 1, 2014 to March 31, 2020 or higher than 60 percent from March 31, 2020.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents or any link between the conditions and service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for earlier effective dates for his awards of special monthly compensation (SMC) based on housebound status. The appeal is also remanded to address the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual employability.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient consideration of relevant evidence, including statements from fellow servicemembers and a Veteran's own statements about his symptoms during service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to failure to consider evidence of the Veteran's diagnosed medical conditions during his April 1, 1997 claim for benefits and whether it may reasonably be construed as the same covered herbicide disease for which compensation has been awarded under Nehmer v. U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to be due to in-service herbicide exposure, and service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD was reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. The effective date for this grant is January 28, 2016.,Service connection for headaches has been remanded as there is no indication that a formal or informal claim was filed prior to January 28, 2016.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for breast cancer and diabetes mellitus, type 2 are remanded due to potential exposure to asbestos during service. Addendum opinions will be obtained regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.,Service connection for a right eye cataract is remanded as there is no indication of in-service injury or disease related to this condition.,Service connection for a heart disability, hypertension, and neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities are all remanded. Addendum opinions will be obtained regarding these conditions.,Service connection for headaches remains remanded due to insufficient evidence on record.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is remanded as there is no indication of in-service injury or disease related to this condition.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type 2 is remanded as there is no indication of in-service injury or disease related to this condition.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for headaches remains remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions, including heart disability, chronic kidney disease, respiratory disorder, back disability, thyroid disability, diabetes mellitus, and neuropathy are remanded due to the need for further development regarding exposure to ionizing radiation in service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his service-connected PTSD with MDD, right ear hearing loss, and the readjudication of his claims have been dismissed. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU has also been referred to the Hearing Branch.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disability, including myocardial infarction and thrombosis, is likely a result of VA care in early May 2007. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding causation.

The Board has remanded the claims for hypertension, BPH, cervical spine disorder, lumbar spine disorder, bilateral hip disorders, neuropathies of any extremities, glaucoma and cataracts, and heart disorder due to inadequate examination opinions that did not consider the Veteran's work as a combat engineer in service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral open angle glaucoma, bilateral cataracts, kidney disability, heart disability, right hip disability, and left hip disability. Service connection was granted for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was not due to his service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD), and therefore, denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus, type II due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the USS Chevalier was within the 12 nautical mile territorial sea of the Republic of Vietnam during his service.

The Veteran's death was attributed to community acquired pneumonia and COPD, which the VA determined were not related to his service. The cause of death is believed to be due to his long-term tobacco smoking.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The appeal regarding increased ratings for right and left knee osteoarthritis, as well as additional ratings for knee extension disabilities, are all granted.