Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for emphysema and heart disability were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, and scarring due to heart bypass surgery, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his death to his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, and he is awarded a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities. The effective date for the increased ratings for hearing loss and heart disease are denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease is denied. The Board has also remanded the case to obtain updated medical records and schedule a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records from Osceola Regional Medical Center. The focus is on determining if the Veteran was exposed to tactical herbicide agents at Don Muang RTAFB during his service as a fire prevention specialist.

The Veteran's request to reopen a claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability was granted. The claims for left shoulder, pulmonary, skin (chloracne), and heart disabilities were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for hyperlipidemia, ischemic heart disease, prostate condition, hypertension, and stroke due to potential herbicide exposure in Korea. The Veteran is presumed exposed to herbicide agents during his service.

The Board has granted the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that ischemic heart disease contributed to his death.

The appeals for service connection for left knee replacement, glaucoma, sleep apnea, polyps in the colon, and right knee arthritis are dismissed. Service connection is granted for residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right knee. The appeals for service connection for hypertension and heart disability are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and deviated septum has been restored. Service connection for PTSD, GERD, sleep apnea, hypertension, and coronary artery disease is remanded.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection for various cancers and a heart disorder due to herbicide exposure, as the Veteran died during the appeal process.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected rheumatic fever and his current heart disease.

Service connection for coronary artery disease is granted. An effective date earlier than January 31, 2015, for the grant of service connection for PTSD is denied. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is remanded. Service connection for left eye ischemic optic neuropathy and hypertension are remanded. Service connection for peripheral vascular disease (bilateral lower and upper extremities) and kidney dysfunction are remanded. Service connection for erectile dysfunction is remanded. Special monthly compensation based on loss of use of a creative organ is remanded.

The Board denied an effective date prior to July 27, 2005 for the award of service connection for CAD due to lack of a claim before that date.

The Veteran's claim for a 70 percent rating for PTSD and entitlement to TDIU have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD has significantly impacted his ability to work, with symptoms affecting most areas of his life.

The Board has determined that more development is necessary before final adjudication of the claims on appeal, including scheduling VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed psychiatric disorder (PTSD) and foot disabilities. The issues of entitlement to service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, heart disability, bilateral hearing loss, and acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD), as well as whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen these claims are all remanded.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death, finding that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's cancers and IHD to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and initial ratings for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease (CAD) were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for prostate cancer with erectile dysfunction, bilateral lower extremity early onset peripheral neuropathy, and a heart condition due to herbicide agent exposure at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. The VA needs to verify the Veteran’s reported exposure during service.