The veteran's claims for higher evaluations of his service-connected heart condition, frostbite of the hands and feet, hiatal hernia with acid reflux, bilateral knee strain, left shoulder strain, and frostbite of the feet have all been denied. The initial evaluation for status post myocardial infarction with coronary artery angioplasty and stent placement remains at 30 percent.
The deciding factor: The veteran's heart condition is currently rated as 30 percent disabling due to a workload limit of 7 METs, which does not meet the criteria for higher evaluations based on left ventricular dysfunction or congestive heart failure.
- Claimed conditions
- status post myocardial infarction with coronary artery angioplasty and stent placement, frostbite of the left hand with residual of mild edema, frostbite of the right hand with residual of mild edema, hiatal hernia with acid reflux, bilateral knee strain with degenerative changes, left shoulder strain with mild degenerative changes
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- February 3, 2003
- Citation
- 0302078
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 106 · Granted: 33% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0302078.
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Veteran's hiatal hernia with acid reflux is currently rated at 60 percent, the maximum schedular rating. The appeal for an increased rating is denied.,Service connection for Huntington's disease has been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the condition and service.
- Granted
The Veteran's application to reopen a claim for tinnitus was granted, and he is now entitled to service connection for this condition.,His right foot condition and left foot condition were denied as not incurred in active service. The tongue tumor, hiatal hernia with acid reflux, erectile dysfunction, benign prostate hypertrophy, and stomach polyps were also denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection. Specifically, a VA examination is needed to assess the nature and etiology of any sleep disorder, and outstanding records are requested.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including a VA examination to determine whether Huntington's disease was aggravated by service. The cases are also remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of hiatal hernia with acid reflux.
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