Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2006

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for lung and heart conditions due to mustard gas exposure, as well as his claims for flat feet, left ankle disability, dermatitis, tinnitus, hearing loss, and PTSD. The evidence submitted since previous decisions does not provide new or material information that would support these claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, a heart disorder with atrial fibrillation, and kidney disorder. The evidence does not support these claims as there is no clear link between the current conditions and service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hearing loss was granted, with a rating assigned and effective from November 27, 2000. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disease has undergone a chronic increase in severity as a result of his service-connected diabetes, and thus grants service connection for aggravation of heart disease.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for coronary artery disease and depression as secondary to coronary artery disease due to inadequate medical care by VA.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and to provide a VA medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's service-connected back disability contributed to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, residuals of stroke, and heart disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran withdrew his appeals for higher ratings in several conditions, including arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, geographic tongue, and a right wrist ganglion cyst. The claim for otitis media and externa was also withdrawn. As such, the Board has no further jurisdiction in these matters.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by service-connected conditions and did not have qualifying wartime service for nonservice-connected death pension benefits.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for bilateral defective hearing, lung disorder (claimed as a residual of exposure to Agent Orange), hypertension, and heart disease due to insufficient evidence. The claims will be reconsidered with additional development.

The Board found that the veteran's cardiovascular disease did not have its onset during active duty, and an acute myocardial infarction did not occur during any of his periods of ACDUTRA. The Board concluded that the veteran's cardiovascular disease was not aggravated by his periods of ACDUTRA.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder, hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current heart disorders were not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board found that the evidence did not establish a direct service connection for sleep apnea or heart condition, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has granted a higher rating of 30 percent for the veteran's hypertensive heart disease, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to determine if the veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease caused or contributed to his death.

The veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and he did not meet the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the statutory threshold for entitlement to service connection due to a lack of current disabilities. The claims are being remanded for further development and examination.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions were not caused by VA negligence in prescribing contaminated Etodolac, and thus denied his claims under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.