Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2007

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded to the RO for further development, including additional medical inquiry. The case will be returned to the Board for further consideration.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development due to a lack of medical evidence supporting the adequacy of the current ratings and an inability to distinguish between active and inactive rheumatic heart disease.

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

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence linking his conditions to his military service, including Agent Orange exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and peripheral neuropathy as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence did not show current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the veteran's claims, including a new VA examination to assess his asthma and an opinion on whether his service-connected asthma has aggravated his non-service connected coronary artery disease. The TDIU claim must also be remanded for issuance of a Statement of the Case.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected coronary artery disease was denied, as the evidence did not show that his disability met or approximated the criteria for a higher rating. The claim for individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing service medical records and a lack of VA treatment records from 1972 to August 2000.

The Board granted increased evaluations for the right knee injury and lumbar spine disability, effective from specific dates. The hypertension was also granted a separate evaluation.,A compensable evaluation (greater than zero percent) was granted for the veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's disabilities, including avitaminosis and other nutritional deficiencies, malnutrition, malaria, residuals of stroke (right-sided hemiparesis), COPD, ischemic heart disease, peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome, antral gastritis, osteoarthritis, and degenerative disc disease. These conditions are presumed to have been incurred in service as a POW.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by VA negligence or carelessness, and thus denied the claim for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The veteran is seeking service connection for heart disease and hypertensive vascular disease, as well as a permanent and total disability rating for nonservice-connected pension purposes. The appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the veteran for examinations.

The Board found that the veteran's heart condition, including congestive heart failure and severely dilated cardiomyopathy, was not directly incurred in service. The Board also determined that there is no evidence linking PTSD to his current heart conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disease, gallbladder disease, and diabetes mellitus were not incurred or aggravated by service. The conditions are considered to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the veteran's coronary artery disease and ischemic cardiomyopathy, finding that these conditions are proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the appellant timely filed a Notice of Disagreement with respect to the January 2004 rating decision, and thus the appeal is granted.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. Chapter 35.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease is not related to his military service and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board finds that the veteran's current right knee and cardiovascular disorders were not present in service or for many years thereafter, and there is no indication that these conditions are causally related to his active service. Therefore, service connection for a right knee disorder or for coronary artery disease cannot be established.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a heart condition, and headaches. The claim for an increased rating for thoracic spine disability was also denied as there is no evidence showing that the veteran had any limitation of motion or abnormal spinal contour prior to April 7, 2004.