Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death is not well-grounded, as there is no medical evidence to support a link between the veteran's service-connected conditions and his untimely death.

The Board determined that there was no evidence linking any service-connected disability to the veteran's cause of death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, concluding that his fatal heart disease was not causally linked to service and a preponderance of evidence supported this decision.

The Board denied service connection for a cerebrovascular accident (CVA) that the veteran claimed was secondary to his service-connected ischemic heart disease, finding no evidence linking the CVA to either condition.

The Board has determined that the service-connected left leg phlebitis contributed to the cause of death, and thus grants the claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, pulmonary tuberculosis, beriberi, and dysentery are all denied. The Board found that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. 1151 as there was no medical evidence showing that any VA treatment or surgical procedure caused his death.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to PTSD due to a lack of competent evidence linking the current condition to the service-connected disability.

The veteran's current evaluation of 60 percent for rheumatic heart disease is not sufficient to meet the criteria for a higher rating under both old and new VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including a broken nose, sinusitis, arthritis, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and emphysema, are not well-grounded. The evidence did not show any in-service injury or disease that would support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are well-grounded and will be reviewed on their merits. The veteran is entitled to service connection for headaches, but not for multiple joint arthritis or arteriosclerotic heart disease.

The veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, left knee disability, and low back disability are denied as not well grounded. The claim for increased rating of right knee disability is also denied.

The veteran's claims for an increased rating for his duodenal ulcer and service connection for a heart disability, claimed as secondary to PTSD, are both granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including joint disease, skin disease, scleroderma, Raynaud's Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), genetic damage with fragile X chromosome (FXC), a heart disorder, and defective hearing, were denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his service or inservice exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of the cause of the veteran's death due to new and material evidence, but has determined that the claim is not well-grounded as there is no competent medical evidence linking any condition during service to the cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease due to beriberi as a POW and for an increased evaluation for his gastrointestinal disability.

The Board granted service connection for migraines, hypertensive coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, hiatal hernia with reflux, and prostatitis. The veteran was assigned a 10 percent rating for migraines, a 50 percent rating for sleep apnea, and a noncompensable rating for the other conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a heart disorder related to service or a service-connected disability. Service connection for multiple joints affected by joint pain (excluding right knee and left ankle) is granted, but no specific rating is assigned as it pertains to an existing condition. Service connection for traumatic arthritis of the left talonavicular joint is granted with a 10 percent rating from June 1989 through June 1997.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected psychophysiologic musculoskeletal reaction is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for heart disease and multiple joint arthritis, finding that there was no competent medical evidence to support these conditions as being related to his military service.