Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2004

The veteran's service records show treatment for sinus congestion and headaches, but no chronic disability was found. The Board finds that the veteran does not have a current heart condition other than hypertension.,There is no evidence of a chronic heart condition or hypertension beginning during service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease status post myocardial infraction as secondary to his service-connected anxiety reaction with depressive features is being remanded due to the submission of new evidence and the need for a VA examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including cataracts, heart disability, dermatological disorder, bronchitis and breathing problems, Peyronie's disease, and prostatitis. The appeals were based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents during military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease with unstable angina is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination, consideration of whether a separate compensable evaluation for hypertension is warranted, and further development.

The Board denied the claim for an effective date prior to June 2, 1999, for service connection of the cause of the veteran's death due to ischemic heart disease. The appellant's claim was received more than one year after the effective date of a liberalizing regulation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease does not warrant a rating in excess of 60 percent, as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than February 11, 1994, for service connection of arteriosclerotic heart disease, status post myocardial infarction, secondary to nicotine dependence. The RO received a formal claim on February 11, 2001.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to his service-connected aortic stenosis with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and denied his claim for an increased rating for his service-connected aortic stenosis with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, finding no evidence of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology after discharge from active duty.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease with myocardial infarction and angina, as well as the increased evaluation for pericarditis. The evidence submitted since the last rating decision did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board found that the veteran's atherosclerotic coronary artery disease was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and denied the claim for service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's cause of death, gastric bleeding and beriberi heart disease, were not caused by a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his heart disease and Alzheimer's disease were not related to his active duty service.

The veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent, and his heart disease claim remains pending. The residuals of the right leg growth are also under review.

The Board has granted service connection for heart disability and assigned an initial noncompensable evaluation, effective July 15, 2002. The veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for his service-connected heart disability is now at the highest available level under VA regulations.

The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether a heart disorder, which was not service-connected at the time of the veteran's death, caused his myocardial infarction during service and was a principal cause of his death. Consequently, the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death must be granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural issues, including VCAA notification requirements and clarification of the veteran's claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and SSA medical records. The RO will also seek an opinion from a specialist regarding whether the service-connected Reiter's syndrome may have contributed to the veteran's death.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for heart disease and hypertension, finding that these conditions were not related to his active duty service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and notification of applicable rating criteria.