Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claims for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for coronary artery disease and myocardial infarction, both stemming from VA treatment periods (1979-1988 and 1998), finding that there was no evidence of fault on VA's part in either case.

The Board has granted service connection for a heart disorder and assigned a noncompensable disability evaluation. The claim for an increased evaluation for right lower extremity varicosities was also granted, with the current evaluation of 10 percent effective February 20, 1998.

The veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease with left ventricular dysfunction, cardiac enlargement and hypertension was rated at 60 percent from March 22, 1996 to January 11, 1998.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for status post myocardial infarction is not well-grounded. The claim for an increased evaluation for residuals of rheumatic heart disease was also denied as there was no evidence linking the current condition to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection as his pre-existing congenital bicuspid aortic valve did not undergo a chronic increase in severity during military service.

The Board has granted service connection for post-traumatic osteoarthritis. The veteran's claims of service connection for ischemic heart disease due to beri-beri and PTSD are pending.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease and hypertension, finding the veteran's claim to be not well grounded due to her self-limited peripartum cardiomyopathy and gestational hypertension.

The Board has denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and the death pension claim due to lack of competent medical evidence linking the veteran's death to his service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of considerable social and occupational impairment, with occasional decrease in work efficiency and intermittent periods of inability to perform tasks due to symptoms including sleeplessness, irritability, anxiety, and social isolation. The disability does not meet the criteria for more severe impairment.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of rheumatic fever and finds that new evidence supports a plausible link between his current heart disorders and his in-service condition. The case is remanded to schedule the veteran for a VA rating examination.

The Board granted a 60 percent evaluation for the appellant's heart disease, including aortic regurgitation status post aortic valve prosthesis from January 19, 1989 through May 31, 1991. The Board also granted effective TDIU from September 1, 1992.

The veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated during service and are not presumed to be related to his military service. The stomach, sleep, and heart disabilities have been medically demonstrated after service but do not meet the criteria for an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a heart disorder. The RO must now review the record to determine if the reopened claim is well-grounded, based on all available evidence.

The Board granted service connection for a heart condition secondary to PTSD and assigned a 60% evaluation effective from July 11, 1991. The veteran's claim of TDIU was also granted with an effective date of July 11, 1991.

The veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease is determined to be related to his service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has found new and material evidence sufficient to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a heart disorder, but further development is needed before deciding on the merits.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, including as secondary to a service-connected disability, is not well-grounded and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for beriberi heart disease, to include ischemic heart disease is well grounded and remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for the cause of the veteran's death. The appellant is seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease, which she claims was caused by beriberi during his captivity as a POW.

The Board found no medical evidence relating any current heart pathology to service or symptoms reported following discharge from service, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease.