Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disorder and esophageal reflux disorder were not incurred during active service, are not related to any service-connected disability, or are not secondary to a service-connected condition. As such, her claims for these conditions have been denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have hypertension or residuals of a stroke that are related to his military service or his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board denied service connection for organic heart disease and peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claims. The veteran's current conditions are presumed due to in-service herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD and a skin disability. The decision also addressed other issues such as diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, and sleep apnea.

The veteran's hypertension was aggravated by his service-connected PTSD. His duodenitis is not considered a compensable disability for VA purposes, and the Board has granted an increased rating of 70% for PTSD effective May 7, 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and for ratings in excess of 30 percent for coronary artery disease prior to May 28, 2004, and for a rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease effective from May 28, 2004. The veteran's claim for service connection was reopened on new evidence, but the Board found no nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension, as well as his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 due to VA medical treatment in July and August 1989. The Board also found that he did not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance or being housebound.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a heart disability that is related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities were denied. The initial disability ratings assigned for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, diabetic nephropathy, and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy were all found to be inadequate.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and chronic bronchitis, but granted service connection for COPD. Service connection for sinus condition and asthma is not addressed as the issues are unclear.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for cause of death, finding that neither the veteran's fatal pulmonary embolism nor his coronary artery disease were due to a disease or injury incurred during military service. The Board also found that these conditions did not contribute substantially or materially to the veteran's death.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and its related conditions, finding no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides or other causative factors.

The veteran's claim for service connection for chronic headaches was granted. The Board found that the veteran had a history of migraine-type headaches prior to his military service and continued to experience these headaches after separation, linking them to his period of active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected coronary artery disease, paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, and hypertension.

The veteran's death was caused by coronary artery disease, which is service-connected. The claims for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. ¶ 1151 and 1318 are dismissed as the criteria for allowance of dependency and indemnity compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. ¶ 1310 have been met.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking Meniere's disease or ASHD to COPD, which is the primary cause of death.

The Board found that the veteran's hypertension and heart disease are not related to his active service or to his service-connected post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause his death from liver failure, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran's cardiovascular disabilities are caused or aggravated by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.