Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2000

The veteran's heart disease and chest condition are not service-connected, as they resulted from his own treatment at VA facilities. The Board found that the additional disability was not due to the VA treatment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of the veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board granted service connection and assigned a 60 percent rating for coronary artery disease, effective from April 1996. The ratings for intervertebral disc syndrome at L4-L5 level were also granted, with the higher rating of 40 percent effective from May 12, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to a finding of clear and unmistakable error in a rating decision from February 1979, which did not consider intervertebral disc syndrome. The veteran served on the Enewetak Atoll Clean Up project where he was exposed to radiation.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence linking a current heart disability to service, and thus the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found no evidence to support the claim that the veteran's heart disorders are related to his service-connected PTSD, and thus denied the claim.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease. The Board has determined that additional development, including a VA examination and clarification of the veteran's hearing preferences, is needed before the claim can be decided.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death is not related to service, a service-connected disorder, or VA examination/treatment. The appellant's claim for compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 was denied as there is no evidence showing that the VA medical treatment in February 1957 contributed to cause his death.

The Board denied service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease and denied accrued benefits for the same condition. The decision found that the veteran's cardiovascular disability was not caused by or related to his military service, nor did it find that it was proximately due to a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially to his death from acute pulmonary thromboemboli and congestive heart failure.

The Board found that the veteran's current heart condition is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim.

The RO denied an initial rating higher than 10 percent for service-connected emphysema and a reduction in nonservice-connected pension benefits due to 1996 income. The issue of whether the 30 percent rating for atherosclerotic heart disease; coronary arteriosclerosis was appropriate is pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions due to service, and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was due to his service-connected conditions, but these did not cause or contribute substantially to his death. The Board found conflicting medical opinions and concluded that neither chronic obstructive pulmonary disease nor heart disease were caused by the in-service gunshot wound.

The Board denied the veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for residuals of cyst removal from the penis, diabetes, a heart disorder, and a kidney disorder. The evidence submitted since the final decisions was found to be cumulative and not new or material.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disorder and hypertension, but denied service connection for a heart disorder. The rating for hypertension remains at 10 percent.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart disorder, claimed as secondary to his service-connected hepatitis, is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that no service-connected disability caused or contributed to his death.

The appellant seeks to establish service connection for the cause of her husband's death, which was caused by pulmonary fibrosis, diabetes mellitus, and arteriosclerotic heart disease. The VA is required to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of these causes of death.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that the claim was not received until August 19, 1999, and granted service connection based on a presumption due to the veteran being a former prisoner of war who experienced localized edema during captivity. The effective date is set at August 19, 2000.