Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and a VA examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim of service connection for a heart disability. The issue of entitlement to service connection for cellulitis is addressed in this decision.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension on a secondary basis due to service-connected bronchial asthma. The heart disability, reduced blood circulation, spinal nerve damage, and diabetic retinopathy claims are denied as there is no evidence of these conditions in the record or a causal relationship to service-connected disabilities.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are related to his service-connected PTSD, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and found that the veteran's current symptoms are linked to in-service stressors. Service connection for CAD is also granted, with the examiner indicating it may be proximately due to his already service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's coronary artery disease was not incurred in service or within one year of separation, is not causally related to service or his service-connected diabetes, and was not aggravated by the service-connected diabetes. Therefore, service connection for coronary artery disease is denied.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease due to new and material evidence submitted since the last denial. However, the Board has determined that service connection is not warranted as there is no current diagnosis of a heart disorder.

The Board has determined that the veteran's asthma is service-connected, as it began during his military service. The diabetes and heart disease are not found to be directly related to service or secondary to asthma medication.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and heart disease, finding no evidence of a direct link to active military service or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death due to a lack of medical evidence linking his bladder cancer and coronary artery disease to his military service or any service-connected disability. The heart condition was not found to be related to his amputated leg, and there is no evidence that it contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The veteran's appeal for a higher rating for coronary artery disease from March 30, 1994, to April 24, 2000 is being remanded due to incomplete VA records.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current heart condition and therefore, service connection for a heart condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current low back disorder or heart disorder that is service-connected. The veteran's separation examination did not show any issues with his spine, and there is no evidence of such disorders during service. For bilateral pes planus, while he had preexisting pes planus at entry into service, there is insufficient evidence to establish aggravation by service.

The veteran's coronary artery disease and residuals of myocardial infarction were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, and are unrelated to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's DM aggravated his CAD.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, it may not be presumed to have been incurred in service, and it is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and urinary tract infections, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or causation related to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension was first received by VA on April 28, 2005. The effective date of the grant of service connection is denied as it does not meet the criteria.