Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to clarify the relationship between the veteran's service-connected left salpingo-oophorectomy and her coronary artery disease.

The RO denied the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death, death pension benefits, and a compensable evaluation for her husband's scar from shrapnel wound. The appeal is being remanded to allow further development.

The Board found no evidence that the veteran's coronary artery disease was caused by or aggravated by his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and evidence.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, acute myocardial infarction due to coronary artery disease, was not caused or contributed substantially or materially by a service-connected disability. The appellant claimed that mustard gas exposure in service caused or contributed to his death, but no medical evidence supported this claim.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease and finds that new evidence supports this reopening. The Board also notes that the veteran's lower extremity peripheral neuropathy may be related to his diabetes mellitus, but further examination is needed to determine if it began during service or is otherwise service-connected.

The veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, coronary artery disease, diabetic retinopathy, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and verify the veteran's claimed Vietnam-era exposure.

The Board found that the cause of the veteran's death, occlusive coronary artery atherosclerosis, was not related to service or any service-connected disability.,There is no evidence showing that the veteran had hepatitis during service or in the years following his discharge. The VA Agent Orange examination did not reveal any connection between the veteran’s liver condition and service.

The VA determined that the veteran's current heart condition, including his recent myocardial infarction, was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, concluding that no service-connected disability contributed to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of service connection for mitral valve disease, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and could not be presumed due to a lack of evidence linking the condition to service.

The veteran is seeking service connection for heart disease, which he claims is secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ankle and foot disabilities, a heart condition, sleep apnea, and left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence establishing current disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's death was due to metastatic prostate cancer, coronary artery disease, seizure disorder, epilepsy and peripheral vascular disease, which may be reasonably attributed to his exposure to ionizing radiation in service. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease, finding that no such claim was filed prior to October 6, 1999.

The veteran's appeal is currently before the Board and requires additional development of his claims for PTSD, arthritis of the right hip, status post-total hip replacement, and coronary artery disease. The RO must obtain all relevant medical records, including those from SSA, VA, and private providers. They should also conduct any necessary examinations and re-adjudicate the claims based on the evidence.

The veteran's ischemic heart disease was rated at 30 percent prior to December 18, 2002 and at 60 percent from that date forward. The effective date for the 60 percent rating is December 18, 2002.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including heart disease with chest pains, prostate disorder, hearing loss, eye disorder, breast tumor, a disorder characterized by edema of the lower extremities, and beriberi with swollen feet. The evidence did not establish a causal link between these conditions and active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right hand fracture and atherosclerotic heart disease, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease with hypertension (claimed now to include congestive heart failure) and granted it. The claims for diabetes mellitus and ulcerative colitis were not supported by the evidence presented.