The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease (IHD) as secondary to service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The initial disability rating for PTSD remains at 30 percent, and the issue of total disability based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) is remanded.
The deciding factor: The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD was an etiological factor in his development of ischemic heart disease (IHD).
- Claimed conditions
- Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- November 4, 2019
- Citation
- 19183217
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,017 · Granted: 36% (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 19183217.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a heart disability and hypertension due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The AOJ is required to obtain addendum medical opinions regarding toxic exposure risk activities (TERA).
- Granted
The Board has restored service connection for Ischemic Heart Disease, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, Diabetes Mellitus type II, Chronic Kidney Disease, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower left extremity sciatic nerve, Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy of the lower right extremity sciatic nerve, and Hypertension. The Board found that the original grant of service connection was not clearly erroneous due to the Veteran's exposure along the DMZ in Korea.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for ischemic heart disease prior to March 19, 2024 was denied. From March 19, 2024, the Veteran is rated at 60 percent for IHD and TDIU claims are not granted.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to April 18, 2022 for Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) was denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent from April 18, 2022 to December 22, 2022 for IHD is pending and requires further development.
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