Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2007

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including atherosclerosis, coronary artery bypass, left total knee arthroplasty and arthritis, ichthyosis vulgaris, right knee degenerative joint disease with arthritis, hypertension, lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease, bilateral pes planus, right knee instability, iritis, impotence associated with atherosclerosis, and degenerative joint disease of the left elbow, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's service-connected heart disability prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to May 20, 2002. However, the evidence does not show that he was unemployable due to his service-connected condition prior to this date.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current heart condition is related to service and whether his diabetes mellitus may have aggravated his heart condition.

The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed conditions, finding no evidence of a relationship between any present disabilities and his military service. The conditions were not related to herbicide exposure as he did not serve in Vietnam.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for consideration of additional evidence submitted without a waiver, and for readjudication of his claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, a heart disorder, and hypertension. The Board found that there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service, and concluded that they were not related to service.

The VA denied the appellant's claim for service connection for valvular heart disease in June 1957, and despite new evidence being submitted, it was determined that this evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim or raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. As such, the VA denied the appellant's request to reopen his claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's preexisting low back disorder was aggravated by service, and thus service connection is granted for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of these claims, including obtaining private treatment records from Hillcrest Internal Medicine and any relevant catheterization records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disability is not caused or permanently worsened by his service-connected PTSD, and therefore denied the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical records and a need for additional examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for paranoid schizophrenia, finding that the veteran's current diagnosis is related to his military service. Service connection for heart disease was not granted as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's fatal conditions to his military service, thus denying both the claim for service connection for the cause of death and DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including heart disorders and shell fragment wounds to his back. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The veteran's cause of death, coronary artery atherosclerosis, is presumed to have been incurred during service. The appellant is eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and a compensable rating for left salpingo-oophorectomy, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to her service-connected condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to her military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, heart condition, hypertension, hernia, and arthritis were all denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during his military service or that they are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining records and verifying an in-service stressor. The claim of service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder is being reviewed.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, finding that it was not caused or made worse by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.