Ischemic heart disease — all decisions

The appeal for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss, and bilateral vision condition was dismissed. Service connection for hypertension, congestive heart failure, and coronary artery disease was denied.

The Board grants service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his period of active duty service. The claims for ischemic heart disease, aortic valve replacement, status post aortic stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease with popliteal aneurysm are remanded.

The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) and remanded the claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

The Board granted service connection for congestive heart failure with implanted pacemaker, bradycardia, valvular heart disease, and atrial fibrillation, secondary to the Veteran's service-connected hypertension.

The Board remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.

The Board remands the claim for a heart disability to obtain additional medical opinions addressing both causation and aggravation.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including GERD, chronic kidney disease, COPD, a heart condition, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, insomnia, and obstructive sleep apnea, as additional development is necessary to address the Veteran's exposure to toxic chemical agents during his service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, dismissing one appeal and remanding others.

The appeal for higher ratings and effective dates for various conditions was denied, with the exception of left and right lower extremity radiculopathy which were granted an earlier effective date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities prior to February 14, 2025, as the evidence did not show that he was precluded from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the appeal period.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his heart condition, including paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and hypertensive heart disease.

The Veteran is granted a 100 percent rating for valvular heart disease based on MET testing showing that at a workload of 3 METs or less, the condition results in fatigue and breathlessness.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left foot bursitis and coronary artery disease, as well as special monthly compensation based on housebound status.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II, coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, hypertension, asthma/lung disease, vision disability, bilateral plantar fasciitis, leukocytosis, kidney disease/kidney stones, enlarged prostate, sleep apnea, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, and left ankle disability.

The Board denied service connection for a vitamin D deficiency and remanded claims for coronary artery disease, status post femoral bypass, chronic kidney disease, and anemia due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.

The Board remands the case to obtain a new medical opinion regarding the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, as the previous opinions were found inadequate.

The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease, which is presumed related to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The Board granted service connection for a heart disability, to include atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claim for cervical degenerative arthritis was denied.

The Board granted service connection for headache attributed to RCVS and persistent thunderclap headache, restored a disability rating of 60 percent for asthma with COPD, denied an initial rating greater than 60 percent for asthma with COPD, denied an initial rating greater than 10 percent for RCVS and aphasia, granted separate ratings for muscle weakness in the upper and lower extremities due to RCVS, denied a higher rating for myocardial infarction with arteriosclerotic heart disease, granted TDIU from August 23, 2023, and granted an effective date of August 23, 2023, for DEA benefits.

The Board denied a rating greater than 70 percent for PTSD, granted an earlier effective date of August 14, 2024, for the grant of a 70 percent rating for PTSD, and denied other claims including entitlement to an effective date prior to April 3, 2025, for the grant of a 100 percent rating evaluation for CAD.