Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2002

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of fractured ribs and hypertension have been denied. The claim for a heart disorder was previously denied in December 1953, and no new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen it.

The veteran is seeking compensation benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. � 1151 for various disabilities and adverse symptomology as a result of treatment received at the Martinsburg VA Medical Center from February 1998 to August 2001. The claims are denied due to lack of specific evidence regarding increased severity, causation by VA fault, or unforeseeable events.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of CUE in a January 1948 rating decision and his attempt to reopen his service connection claim for valvular heart disease with mitral insufficiency.

The VA determined that the veteran's heart disorders, including rheumatic heart disease and valvular heart disease, were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board found no evidence of a pre-existing condition before service or any increase in disability during service.

The Board found that new evidence submitted since the August 1998 rating action, while new and relevant to reopening the claim for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, is not sufficient to establish a direct link between the veteran's current condition and his military service. The veteran now claims that his chest pain during active duty was the first manifestation of his heart disease or hypertension, but there is no medical evidence supporting this claim.

The VA Regional Office denied the veteran's claim for service connection for cause of death, which was due to heart disease. The appeal is pending and requires further development.

The veteran's death was determined to be related to his service in Vietnam, specifically due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange). His lung cancer is presumed by law to be causally related to this exposure. The appellant as the surviving spouse of the veteran is therefore granted entitlement to dependents' educational assistance under Chapter 35 of Title 38 U.S.C. for his cause of death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10 percent, and his service-connected osteoarthritis of the right wrist is also rated at its maximum allowable under VA regulations. The veteran's current symptoms are attributed to non-service connected conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disability, which involves a history of acute coronary occlusion or thrombosis and repeated anginal attacks, warrants a 60 percent rating from July 1, 1997 to the present (except for the time when it was already assigned a temporary total rating).

The Board found no evidence of hypertension or coronary artery disease in service, and concluded that these conditions were not incurred during active duty. The veteran's current conditions are attributed to post-service factors.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction, coronary artery bypass graft, and pacemaker placement are not of service origin and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board also found that these conditions are not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected dysthymia.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disability, including coronary artery disease, was not caused or chronically worsened by his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for headaches, coronary artery disease, tremor of the left arm, bleeding gums, and Barrett's syndrome, all secondary to herbicide exposure. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to his military service or to herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute to his death, and therefore denied service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension and heart disease are not service-connected, as they were aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. The effective date for service connection is May 12, 1994.

The veteran's cause of death was due to coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic vascular disease, with schizophrenia contributing materially. The Board found that the service-connected schizophrenia interfered with treatment for his underlying disabilities and contributed to his death.

The veteran's service-connected COPD contributed to his death from myocardial infarction.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a new radiation dose estimate from DTRA based on the veteran's claimed exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Board denied the claim of entitlement to service-connection for cause of death, finding that the veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder, finding no evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service.