Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2004

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to exposure to Agent Orange, effective from July 15, 2003. The secondary service connection claims are remanded as further development is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension as secondary to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, Type II. The right knee disability remains under review.

The veteran's current heart condition was not incurred during service and there is no medical evidence linking it to his military service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's groin injury and heart condition were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, thus denying his claims.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, but denied it on the merits due to lack of nexus evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and hypertensive coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral plantar calluses with clawing of the toes and determined that preexisting bilateral plantar calluses worsened during active service. Service connection is granted for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions of pulmonary tuberculosis and heart disease were not incurred or aggravated during service, nor can they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The appeal is denied.

The Board has denied all the issues on appeal, including service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, and prostatic hypertrophy due to Agent Orange exposure. The claims for right knee, left knee, throat polyp, hypertension, neck, and back disorders have also been denied as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of beriberi, including beriberi heart disease, is denied as there is no medical evidence that he currently has these conditions or any disability attributable to his service in the US Armed Forces Far East.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for cancer of the larynx and coronary artery disease due to tobacco use in service are barred by law, as they were not incurred or aggravated during active duty. The claim for cancer of the larynx on a direct and presumptive basis is also denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his medical records and to ensure compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current heart or kidney disorder that is related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's death was due to coronary artery disease, dementia, and chronic atrial fibrillation. The service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen his request for service connection for rheumatic heart disease, finding no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board found that the veteran's coronary artery disease, which caused his death in December 1995, did not have its onset during service and there is no competent medical evidence linking it to any injury or disease of service origin. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the veteran's death was denied.

The service-connected disabilities contributed substantially to the veteran's death, and by extending the benefit of doubt, the Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder, as well as his claim for TDIU. The denial was based on the evidence showing that the conditions existed prior to service.

The Board and RO have denied the veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, heart condition, weakness of the left lower extremity with paresis, sensory deficit on the left side of his body, tinnitus, depressive disorder, headaches, and memory loss. The evidence submitted since previous decisions does not support reopening these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to determine if the veteran's heart disorder is related to his service-connected anxiety disorder and whether he had a heart disorder prior to or during service.