Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2007

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that there is no evidence of any cardiovascular disease during or within one year after service discharge and concluding that the current heart disorder is not related to service.

The Board found no direct service connection for the cause of death, and denied the claim.

The veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the hands, elbows, left shoulder, and left knee; tinnitus; coronary artery disease; and hypertension have all been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to atherosclerotic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that the effective date is set by law as not earlier than October 7, 2004.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have any of the claimed conditions until many decades after service, and thus cannot be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service. The appellant's verified service with the recognized guerrillas is also not considered qualifying active military service for VA pension purposes.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, sleep disturbance, right hand disability, coronary artery disease (CAD), and residuals of a right eye injury have all been denied. The evidence received since the April 1994 denial did not provide sufficient new and material evidence to reopen any of these claims.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to the need for updated medical records and a cardiac examination.

The veteran's coronary artery disease and hypertension are found to be proximately due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for residuals of right 5th metacarpal fracture, but denied service connection and increased ratings for the veteran's knees and coronary artery disease.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or heart disease manifested by RBBB with sinus bradycardia, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.,The VA examinations did not find any underlying heart disease or hypertension in the veteran's case.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his cardiovascular and gastrointestinal conditions were not related to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a heart disability as the result of service or a service-connected disease, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder, residuals of a head injury, and low back disorder. The claims for flat feet, asthma, and rheumatic fever were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of his heart disease and low back disability. The case will be returned to the AMC for further examination and consideration.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran's appeal for special monthly pension on account of the need for aid and attendance of another person is granted due to his disabilities, including type II diabetes mellitus, venous insufficiency, lung condition, essential hypertension, and coronary artery disease. The Board found that he needs regular aid and attendance as he is so nearly helpless in performing activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing himself, keeping himself clean, cooking for himself, and protecting himself from hazards.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection were denied, and the Board dismissed the appeal due to the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death and also denied his claim for nonservice-connected death pension benefits due to lack of qualifying military service.