Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2005

The veteran's claims for increased rating of anxiety disorder, service connection for hypertension and heart disability secondary to anxiety are remanded due to inadequate notification and examination.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The heart disease claim is remanded due to the need for further development.

The Board finds that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability or one for which benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 were granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's unauthorized in-patient medical care provided by the Rogue Valley Medical Center from February 21, 2003 to February 28, 2003 was for a continued medical emergency and thus is eligible for payment or reimbursement.

The Board has determined that there is no current cardiac condition linked to service, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that while pulmonary tuberculosis was present during service and contributed to his death, it did not substantially or materially contribute to his death.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the claim for service connection for a heart condition due to withdrawal by the appellant's representative.

The Board finds that the veteran's coronary artery disease and hypertension were incurred in service, as evidenced by elevated blood pressure readings during active duty.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bronchitis, irritable bowel syndrome, restless leg syndrome, lumbar spine disability, cervical spine disability, coronary artery disease, arthritis of the knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, and hands. The decision also denies service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for an opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's coronary artery disease.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a non-VA hospital due to lack of prior authorization and availability of VA facilities.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board found that the veteran did not have hypertension due to disease or injury incurred in service, and there was no evidence linking a psychiatric disorder or heart disease to his service-connected hypertension. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The veteran's service connection claims for urinary stone disease, coronary artery disease, and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair have been denied. The VA has granted service connection for coronary artery disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and lung cancer as due to asbestos exposure, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current heart symptoms are not related to his service-connected rheumatic heart disease, and thus denied an increased rating.

The veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was denied as secondary to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus.,Service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus was granted with an effective date of July 20, 2001. The veteran requested a retroactive effective date but this was denied due to the one-year rule after the May 8, 2001 liberalizing regulation.,Service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was granted with an effective date of October 22, 2002. The veteran requested a retroactive effective date but this was denied due to the one-year rule after the May 8, 2001 liberalizing regulation.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal for the denial of service connection for erectile dysfunction, coronary artery disease, and hypertension as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or entitlement to an increased rating.

The veteran's service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes mellitus cause aggravation of his heart disease, representing approximately one-quarter of the current disability. The Board has granted service connection for this portion of his arteriosclerotic heart disease.