Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2007

The Board denied the veteran's appeal for service connection of PTSD, found that his hypertension and anxiety claims were not timely filed, and determined that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen his heart condition, anxiety, and hypertension claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass graft and residuals of cardiovascular accident. The appeals for bilateral glaucoma, left eye macular hole, and bilateral hearing loss are also pending.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder and a heart disorder, finding new and material evidence. The current medical evidence shows that the veteran has these conditions.,Service connection is granted for the veteran's current heart disorder as it was incurred in service.

The VA denied an increased evaluation for the veteran's service-connected malaria and also denied service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) that is claimed to be secondary to his service-connected malaria.,There was no evidence of a current disability related to malaria, as it has been asymptomatic since 1946. The VA found no link between the veteran's service-connected malaria and his later-developed CAD.

The Board has remanded the case to consider whether the veteran's atherosclerotic heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are related to his military service, including exposure to harsh conditions during combat.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to coronary artery disease, finding that it did not manifest in service or within one year of discharge and was not related to his active service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 20 percent for spinal stenosis of the lumbosacral spine at L4-5 levels, service connection for hearing loss, and service connection for heart disease.

The veteran seeks service connection for hearing loss and various other conditions. The RO has remanded the case to obtain additional records and conduct examinations.,The veteran claims service connection for rheumatoid arthritis of the hands, ankles, shoulders, and back, which he attributes to in-service exposure to humidity in Vietnam. He also seeks service connection for a psychiatric disability (likely depression) and benign prostatic hypertrophy due to herbicide exposure during service.,The veteran asserts that his current psychiatric condition is related to an in-service diagnosis of depression. The RO has requested clarification on whether the veteran is seeking service connection for PTSD, which would require further development.,The veteran claims service connection for myocardial infarctions and coronary artery disease, with a suggestion that these conditions may be secondary to his psychiatric disability. He also seeks service connection for benign prostatic hypertrophy due to herbicide exposure during service.,The veteran asserts that he was exposed to noise while serving as a policeman in the Air Force, which could potentially relate to his current hearing loss.

The veteran's claims for increased rating for pleuritis and service connection for coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of an increased rating or service connection based on secondary service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, peripheral vascular disease, and coronary artery disease status post bypass graft due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty or service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus did not aggravate his claimed coronary artery disease, left lower extremity peripheral vascular disease (PVD), or right lower extremity peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

The VA determined that the veteran's additional disability involving renal failure and heart disease was not caused by VA medical treatment with Lisinopril since the mid-1990s, as there is no competent medical evidence showing such a connection.

The Board denied service connection for heart disease, concluding that the veteran did not suffer a myocardial infarction while performing inactive duty training in March 2001 and that his initial diagnosis of heart disease was not due to this event.

The veteran's hypertension, varicose veins of the left leg, and coronary artery disease are all found to be service-connected. The veteran's coronary artery disease is secondary to his hypertension.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits.

The veteran's claim is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a videoconference hearing. The main issue is whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his previous denial of service connection for bipolar disorder.

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

The veteran died due to occlusive coronary artery disease. At the time of his death, he did not have any service-connected disabilities and was not entitled to receive compensation for a service-connected disability rated totally disabling.

The veteran's death was caused by coronary artery disease, with metastatic oropharyngeal cancer as a contributing factor. Service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease is not proximately due to or the result of his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.