Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2005

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions (arthritis, heart disorder, residuals of polio, and COPD) are not due to disease or injury in service, including exposure to ionizing radiation. The claims were denied.

The veteran's death was caused by arteriosclerotic heart disease, which is not service-connected. The claim for service connection for the cause of death has been denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, finding no evidence of a chronic disorder in service and no indication of continuity of symptomatology. The Board also found that there was no medical nexus between military service and current diagnosis.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for heart disease due to new and material evidence submitted since the July 1946 rating decision. However, the Board found that there is no competent evidence showing a nexus between the veteran's current heart disease and his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for scheduled examinations. The case will be readjudicated based on the evidence added since the last supplemental statement of the case.

The veteran died due to myocardial infarction, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-insulin dependent diabetes. The service-connected disabilities did not cause his death.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service records and a need for additional medical evaluations. The veteran's heart disorder claim will be reconsidered with new evidence.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused or substantially contributed to by any service-connected disability, including his hypertension and PTSD. The cause of death was attributed to metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding whether the veteran's diabetes contributed substantially and materially to his death from heart disease. The claims will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim for service connection of cause of death. The DIC claim under 38 U.S.C. § 1318 was also denied due to lack of legal merit.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for effective dates prior to January 25, 2000 for increased ratings of ischemic heart disease and a total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection of a heart disorder secondary to his service-connected bilateral thrombophlebitis, finding that there was no evidence linking the two conditions.

The Board found that the appellant did not become disabled from an injury, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, or cerebrovascular accident during inactive duty for training in March 1985 and thus is not eligible for compensation benefits based on such training.

The Board found that the veteran's death was due to coronary artery disease, which appeared many years after service. The residuals of pyloroplasty and vagotomy were not shown to have caused or contributed to his death.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a bilateral knee disability, a heart disability, allergies, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left hands, and asthma due to lack of evidence of current disabilities.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for hypertension, hypertensive arteriosclerotic heart disease with old myocardial infarction, and residuals of right and left knee injuries were denied. The claim for lumbosacral strain remains pending.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and assigned initial disability ratings of 10 percent each for peripheral neuropathy of his lower extremities. The veteran was not granted higher initial ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to his service-connected right knee disability contributing to his arteriosclerotic heart disease and congestive heart failure. The appellant is also eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits under Chapter 35.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional heart and lung disability, claimed as secondary to a tooth extraction performed at a VA facility in September 1998. The case has been remanded due to inadequate notification of the redefined obligations of VA with respect to his claim.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder and disability associated with blackout spells and seizures, finding no current evidence of these conditions.