Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2000

The Board denied the veteran's claim of new and material evidence for service connection due to coronary artery disease, as no additional medical evidence linking his current condition to service was provided.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for depression, hypertension, heart disease, stomach disability, and back disability are not well-grounded.

The Board has determined that there is no causal relationship between the veteran's heart disease, including cardiac arrhythmias with atrial flutters and intermittent fibrillation, and his service-connected deep vein thrombosis of the left leg. The evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's heart condition was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease with angina pectoris originated in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the application to reopen the claim of service connection for heart disease and determined that a left shoulder disorder was incurred in active service. The claim of service connection for bilateral elbow disorder is not well grounded.

The veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and there is no evidence linking the cause of death to military service.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is granted, effective April 25, 1994.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 100 percent for the veteran's service-connected cardiovascular disability, effective from January 1993 to March 1, 1993. The ratings for arthritis of the cervical spine and thoracic spine remain at 10 percent each, while the rating for traumatic arthritis of the left ankle is maintained at 10 percent.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for residuals of a coronary artery bypass graft was denied. The RO assigned noncompensable ratings from July 22, 1991, to May 27, 1997, and a 40 percent rating from May 28, 1997, to August 31, 1998. The veteran's disability was returned to noncompensable ratings after that period.

The Board found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current heart disease or low back disability to his service, including any incidents therein. The Board also found no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing conditions in service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection are not well grounded, and thus denied them. The claim of entitlement to service connection for a joint disability is reopened due to new evidence submitted since the last decision.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's established service-connected condition to his death, and thus the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, stomach condition, and heart condition as there is no evidence to support a finding of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for cardiovascular disabilities, including hypertension, and dependency and indemnity compensation benefits due to his cause of death. The evidence did not support a finding that any current cardiovascular disability was incurred or aggravated during service.

The Board has determined that new evidence was received to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection, but it is unclear whether the conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was denied in March 1972. New evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim, and it is determined that hypertension and heart disease are not related to service or any service-connected disability. The veteran's low back strain with degenerative joint and disc disease is rated at 40 percent since March 29, 1993.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses is denied because the treatment was for a nonservice-connected disability and service connection is not in effect for any disease or disability.

The Board denied the veteran's attempt to reopen his claim for service connection for heart disability, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and prostate cancer, including as due to Agent Orange exposure. The denial was based on lack of evidence showing in-service exposure or a causal link between current conditions and service.

The Board denied the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for heart disease and cardiomyopathy, finding no competent evidence linking the appellant's conditions to his use of verapamil during VA hospitalization.