Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2008

The veteran died in November 1993 from cardio-respiratory arrest due to liver disease. The appellant seeks service connection for the cause of death, arguing that the veteran had a heart condition and should have been service-connected for this condition.

The veteran's condition stabilized on February 7, 2006, making him eligible for reimbursement only up to that date.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, heart disability including coronary artery disease, sleep apnea, and peripheral neuropathy (ulnar mononeuropathy) were all denied. The evidence did not show that any of these conditions started during or were otherwise related to the veteran's military service.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, attributing it to a lack of evidence linking his current condition to his military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his acute myocardial infarction was not related to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis/rhinitis. The claims of service connection for a heart disorder and rheumatoid arthritis were denied.

The Board found that the veteran did not meet the legal criteria for recognition as a former prisoner of war (POW) and denied all service connection claims due to lack of evidence supporting the claimed conditions.

The veteran's combined rating for his service-connected conditions is 80 percent, and the VA examiner concluded that he is capable of sedentary employment due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board denied TDIU as the veteran is not precluded from obtaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's skin cancer, hypertension, paresthesia of fingers/toes, renal artery atherosclerotic disease, CAD, and erectile dysfunction are not service-connected or secondary to service.

The veteran's heart condition, characterized by rheumatic heart disease with aortic valvulitis and history of rheumatic fever, is currently rated at 30 percent due to symptoms such as dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness or syncope when the workload exceeds 5 METs but does not exceed 7 METs. The condition also includes left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction between 30 and 50 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for various conditions, including hypertension and diabetes mellitus with venostasis ulcers. The veteran's initial rating for diabetes mellitus is set at 20 percent.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical opinions and new evidence submitted by the appellant. The cause of death is being reviewed, along with any potential service connection for exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a direct relationship to service.

The Board denied reopening the claim of service connection for a low back disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection was also denied for coronary artery disease (CAD) as it is not related to diabetes mellitus, type 2. Service connection for hypertension was also denied as it is not related to diabetes mellitus.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating were denied. The Board found that GERD was not proximately due to or aggravated by a service-connected disability, and the heart condition was not shown to be related to PTSD.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disability associated with in-service asbestos exposure. The heart disease claim is being remanded to determine if it is secondary to the service-connected respiratory disability.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected coronary artery disease, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss are being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding that these conditions are directly related to the veteran's active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran withdrew his appeal for sleep apnea, a blood disease due to Agent Orange exposure, pneumonia including due to Agent Orange exposure, lupus and positive lupus anticoagulant including due to Agent Orange exposure, and peripheral neuropathy including due to Agent Orange exposure. The skin disorder characterized as basal cell carcinomas of the face and actinic keratoses of the hands and face was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder and bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's active service.