Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2005

The Board denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for coronary artery disease, status post bypass procedure due to VA's fault in performing April 17, 2001 coronary artery bypass surgery. The COPD issue is remanded as it was not addressed in the original decision.

The Board found no evidence of a current heart disorder related to the veteran's service, specifically his treatment for scarlet fever. For PTSD, there was insufficient evidence linking the veteran's symptoms to an in-service stressor and the examiner did not diagnose PTSD.

The veteran's death was caused by atherosclerotic heart disease, which is presumed to have been incurred due to his service as a POW. The Board granted the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatoid arthritis and heart disease, finding no evidence of current disabilities related to his active duty service or a service-connected disability.

The Board denied service connection for heart disability, hepatitis, and anxiety disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The veteran's claims for hepatitis and anxiety disorder were previously denied in a final rating decision from June 1985.

The Board has denied all the claims for service connection as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service event that would support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently manifested coronary artery disease and hypertension are proximately due to or the result of his service-connected anxiety disorder, granting him service connection for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of a heart disorder due to new and material evidence presented since the final denial in 1977. The Board found that the veteran's heart disorder was aggravated by service.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence showing a service-connected disability caused or contributed to the death.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disease is not related to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to new regulations for presumptive service connection for former prisoners of war, and also to verify the serviceman's periods of military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for asthma and coronary artery disease, both secondary to his service-connected left pleurisy. The VA examiner found no relationship between the veteran's heart condition and his service-connected pleurisy.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him helpless and in danger in his daily environment, requiring the regular assistance of another individual on a daily basis to accomplish personal self-care. His service-connected disabilities do not substantially confine him to his dwelling or immediate premises.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and for entitlement to death pension benefits due to her income exceeding the maximum rate.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and diabetes mellitus due to exposure to herbicide agents (for accrued purposes only). The decision found that arteriosclerotic heart disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service, may not be presumed to have been so incurred, and was not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disease or injury. Diabetes mellitus was not listed as a contributing factor in the veteran's death.

The veteran's organic heart disease, which is a presumptive service connection condition as a former POW, contributed to his death. Service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The veteran's PTSD is currently rated as 30 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating. Service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, which are unrelated to his service-connected PTSD, is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, Type I, and low back disability. The veteran's claim of service connection for diabetes mellitus was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence. The claim of service connection for low back disability was reopened based on the submission of certain evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and chronic left ear disorder, but denied both on the merits. The veteran's symptoms are not shown to be related to active duty.

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