Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2007

The Board found that the veteran's heart disease, which caused his death, was not related to service and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code.

The Board denied service connection for rheumatic heart disease and hypertension, finding that the conditions existed prior to service and were not aggravated by military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral shin splints, a respiratory condition, a heart condition described as tightness in the chest, and heat exhaustion due to lack of competent evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions during or after military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current respiratory and pulmonary conditions had their onset many years after service and are not related to any claimed treatment of pneumonia during service or any residuals thereof. Therefore, the claim for service connection for residuals of pneumonia was denied.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and basic eligibility for Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance due to lack of evidence linking the veteran's cardiovascular disease to his period of active military service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his coronary artery bypass graft, arteriosclerotic occlusive peripheral vascular disease, bilateral carotid endarterectomies, and hepatitis C were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Board found that no new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, hypertension, and a heart murmur. The decision denied this request.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to new and material evidence. The heart disease that caused the veteran's death is considered to have been incurred during active service, though there is uncertainty about its presence in service or within one year post-service.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional disability as a result of VA hospitalization and heart surgery in November and December of 1995. The case has been remanded to obtain medical records, conduct an examination, and readjudicate the claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and arteriosclerotic heart disease, to include as secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Board found that there was no evidence of a relationship between the veteran's service-connected PTSD and his current conditions.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for cause of death and eligibility for dependents' educational assistance (DEA) as there is no evidence to support a causal relationship between the veteran's service, his service-connected condition, or any other conditions leading to his death.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for chest pain and a heart condition, finding that there is no evidence of such conditions during active service or that they are related to any current service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disease with dilated cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for the cause of the veteran's death should be October 7, 2004.

The veteran's claims for increased initial ratings on appeal have been denied. The RO has granted service connection for the disabilities, but did not assign any specific disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus and its secondary effects, including coronary artery disease with hypertension, myocardial infarction residuals, and cerebrovascular accident (CVA) residuals. The decision also grants secondary service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease meets the criteria for a higher 60 percent rating, reflecting significant impairment in his ability to engage in physical activities.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, but finds that a service-connected disability did not contribute to his death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease as secondary to diabetes mellitus, finding that no claim for service connection prior to June 1, 2004 was received.