Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2000

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records from the veteran's reserve duty service over the period of 1971 to 1991, and to determine whether direct service connection can be granted for his cardiovascular disabilities.

The veteran's disabilities do not render him unable to care for his daily personal needs or to protect himself from the hazards and dangers incident to his daily environment without the assistance of others, thus denying special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance.

The VA has determined that the veteran's rheumatic heart disease with coronary artery disease and history of coronary artery bypass graft does not meet or approximate the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 30 percent.

The veteran's appeal has been dismissed because he died during the pendency of his appeal.

The Board found the veteran's claim well grounded but denied it on the merits, stating that the most probative evidence was against the claim that his service-connected right elbow disability caused or aggravated his heart disease.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a low back disability or heart disease present in service or within the one-year presumptive period post-service. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The case is being remanded due to the need for additional terminal hospital records from the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

The Board denied service connection for ischemic heart disease and bilateral leg disorder on secondary basis to a service-connected condition. The veteran's claims were not well-grounded.

The veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have caused his death due to coronary artery sclerosis. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise, granting service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disorder was not incurred or aggravated during service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disability did not have its onset during service or is not related to a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's current heart and breathing problems are not due to his service-connected rheumatic heart disease, thus denying a higher disability rating.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to lack of a well-grounded claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an adjustment reaction with depression as secondary to the veteran's service-connected right paratracheal mass, lung base, with mild restrictive respiratory impairment.

The Board denied service connection for a left cerebral infarct secondary to service-connected rheumatic heart disease, finding that the evidence did not support such a relationship.

The Board found that the veteran did not have asthma, coronary artery disease and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a chronic gastrointestinal condition (to include ulcers and gastritis) incurred during service. The claims were denied as they do not meet the criteria for well-groundedness.

The veteran's hypertension disability is rated at 100 percent, his low back disability is rated as 100 percent, and his rectus muscle hernia disability is also rated at 100 percent.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred on August 26, 1994 and September 7, 1994 at Camden- Memorial Hospital is denied because the treatment was not for a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disorder, sick sinus syndrome, pre-existed his entry onto active duty and did not increase in disability during service. The appeal was granted.