Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2004

The Board has granted service connection for atherosclerotic heart disease due to the veteran's status as a former prisoner of war, and assigned a 10% disability rating.

The veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as a presumptive condition due to his status as a former prisoner of war.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service medical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, hypertension, a low back disorder, a left wrist disorder, and a bilateral hip disorder. The Board found no evidence of chronic conditions in service or current disabilities related to military service.

The Board has determined that an etiological opinion is required to resolve whether the service-connected PTSD materially contributed to the cause(s) of the veteran's death. The RO should ensure that the veteran's complete set of VA clinic records since his discharge are associated with the claims folder, and arrange for a review by a cardiologist and a pulmonologist.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post traumatic stress disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and arteriosclerotic heart disease due to a lack of competent medical evidence showing current disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for further development of evidence regarding the veteran's exposure to mustard gas during World War II.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease and hypertension warrant a restoration of a 100 percent rating effective from March 1, 1999.

The Board found that the veteran does not have hypertensive cardiovascular disease or coronary artery disease that is related to service, including as secondary to his service-connected chronic pulmonary disease related to asbestos exposure.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred therein. The right knee disability is denied as there is no clear evidence of a nexus between the current condition and service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disability, including his myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease, is related to his in-service exposure to second-hand smoke.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and peripheral vascular disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and an opinion regarding whether these conditions are secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including left eye glaucoma, right eye uveitis, anxiety disorder (depression), hypertension, and heart disorder, were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Board found that the July 1960 rating decision denying service connection for epilepsy was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous. Diabetes mellitus, a chronic 'heart condition', and swelling of hands and feet were not shown to be related to service.

The Board has ordered a VA cardiac examination to determine if the veteran's status postoperative stenotic, coronary artery disease is related to his high cholesterol and hypercholesterolemia in service. The veteran also needs an evaluation for his hypertension.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a relationship between any of these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further review and consideration by the RO, including a supplemental statement of the case if necessary.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine the role of service-connected PTSD and heart medications in the veteran's death.

The Board found that the cause of death, ischemic cardiomyopathy, was not caused or contributed to by any service-connected disability. The veteran's other conditions were attributed to various non-service-related factors.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's heart disease, finding that it is related to his World War II POW experiences and warranting presumptive service connection.