Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2001

The VA determined that the veteran's heart disability was not caused by or aggravated by the April 1996 VA treatment, and thus denied his claim under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the veteran's anxiety reaction warrants a 50% rating, but his coronary artery disease is not considered to be related to his service-connected anxiety reaction. The claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for a heart condition. The veteran's arthritis of the left knee is also denied as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence showing it existed prior to service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of a heart disorder, but finds that new evidence does not establish an in-service injury or disease related to his pre-existing condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart condition, which was service-connected during his lifetime, is considered a contributory cause of death due to pneumonia. The appeal for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for additional death pension benefits based on a need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound due to her inability to meet the criteria for such benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's request for an earlier effective date of September 29, 1999, for his nonservice-connected disability pension benefits. The decision stated that there was no evidence showing the veteran had filed a claim prior to this date and that he did not have sufficient incapacity within one year from when he became permanently disabled to prevent him from filing a claim.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disability in March 1952, and the veteran appealed. The RO granted service connection for aortic regurgitation and status post aortic valve prosthesis effective April 1, 1989. The veteran requested an earlier effective date based on his October 1951 affidavit, but this was not considered as it did not meet the requirements of an informal claim.

The veteran's claimed disabilities of stress, a heart disorder, and declining metabolism are not considered to be the result of VA treatment in 1993 and 1998.

The veteran's PTSD has been granted a 100% evaluation, and the VA examiner opined that his heart condition is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected PTSD. The effective date for this decision remains pending.

The veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred in February and March 1999 were denied because he did not have an adjudicated service-connected disability, and the treatment was not for a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for additional medical opinions regarding the cause of death.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected ischemic heart disease and helminthiasis, finding that the evidence does not support a higher rating based on current disability levels.

The Board found that the veteran's death was caused by cardiopulmonary arrest due to myocardial ischemia as a result of coronary artery disease (CAD), which did not occur during his active military service. Therefore, the cause of death is not considered service-connected.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability and denied claims for accrued benefits, DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 based on VA treatment, and hypothetical entitlement to DIC.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disease worsened due to VA's failure to properly diagnose and treat it, leading to an increase in severity. The decision grants compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board denied the claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), and dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC). The evidence did not establish that the veteran suffered from a service-connected disability at the time of his death.

The Board found that the veteran's cause of death (ventricular fibrillation to asystole, ASHD and CHF) was not caused or contributed substantially by his service-connected multiple joint arthritis. The Board also noted that he did not meet the criteria for benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is 60 percent, and the Board found that his claim for TDIU was eligible for extra-schedular consideration due to his unemployability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a stroke and heart disorder, finding no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The TDIU claim was also denied as there is no evidence showing that the veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.