Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2005

The Board found that the cause of death, ischemic cardiomyopathy and severe coronary artery disease, was not related to service. The veteran's cardiovascular issues were first noted six years after his retirement from active duty.

The veteran's appeal is being REMANDED to the RO for completion of additional development and adjudicative actions. The case will be further reviewed after these steps are completed.

The Board denied service connection for sickle cell disease, eye disorder, joint disorder, heart disorder, skeletal disorder, and foot disorder. The veteran's claims were based on his belief that these conditions were related to his active duty service.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, and coronary artery disease have been denied. The VA has assigned a 20% rating for diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy.

The veteran's heart condition, including hypertension, heart disease, coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure, was not shown to have been incurred in service. COPD was also not shown to be related to service. The issue of dental condition for treatment purposes is referred to the RO.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional evidentiary development and notification.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination to rate his service-connected asbestosis.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied basic eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35 of Title 38 of the United States Code.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability as secondary to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence did not support a link between PTSD and the heart condition.

The Board denied the appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of her husband's death, finding that a disability that began during service was neither the principal nor a contributory cause of his death.

The veteran's claims for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and major depressive disorder were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability or that the conditions began during service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for hearing loss, hyperlipidemia, vision disorder, hypertension, heart disorder, and diabetes mellitus type II. The RO found no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his military service.

The veteran's hypertension and hypertensive heart disease are currently evaluated at 30 percent. The Board finds no evidence of a diastolic pressure of 120 or more, which would warrant an evaluation higher than 30 percent under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board dismissed the veteran's appeal as he did not timely file a substantive appeal regarding his claim for an earlier effective date prior to May 27, 1999, for service-connection for hypertensive heart disease.

The veteran's death was found to be due to atherosclerotic heart disease and myocardial infarction, which were service-connected. The Board granted the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The case is being remanded to the RO for DRO review and scheduling of a hearing before a DRO. The appellant's request for a personal hearing at his request should be addressed.

The Board has denied service connection for bronchial asthma, hypertension, coronary artery disease, and a neuropsychiatric disorder with a disability manifested by lack of blood flow to the brain as these conditions were not shown to be related to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder, lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, and TDIU rating have been granted with effective dates of November 24, 1987. The ratings for the lumbar and cervical spine disabilities are set at 20% from November 24, 1987 to July 30, 2000, and 40% and 30%, respectively, after that date.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease and post-traumatic stress disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support these conditions were incurred during military service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or housebound status, which has been granted.