Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2008

The veteran's coronary artery disease, status-post coronary artery bypass graft, was rated at 60 percent, and his sinusitis was rated at 30 percent.

The Board concluded that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, but granted service connection for PTSD as it was incurred in service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied, as was his claim for a higher initial rating for coronary artery disease. The Board also denied the claims for an initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease with a history of myocardial infarction, as there was no evidence that the condition manifested in service or within one year after separation from service and it was not shown to be causally related to military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded for additional development.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for rheumatic heart disease, inactive, with mild aortic valve regurgitation, as there was no evidence of current disability or a link to service.

The Board denied the claim for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 and 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 as the veteran did not meet the statutory duration requirements for a total disability rating at the time of his death, and there was no evidence that VA carelessness or negligence caused the veteran's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for enucleation of the right eye, choiroidal melanoma, prostate cancer, bleeding ulcers, hypertension and a heart condition, a sinus condition, and spine arthritis as they were not incurred or aggravated during his active military service.

The veteran's heart disease was found to be aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, and he is entitled to a 70 percent evaluation for PTSD.

The Board denied entitlement to increased ratings for the veteran's lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease, epicondylitis of the right elbow, and subpatellar chondromalacia of both knees. The claim for service connection for heart disability was remanded.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, was reopened and denied. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The appeal was dismissed due to the veteran's death.

The veteran's claim for service connection for arthritis was denied as there is no evidence of the condition being incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and it did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year after separation from service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within one year of discharge, and no competent medical evidence linking the current hearing loss to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee injury, a dental disorder, and various other conditions, as well as denied new and material evidence to reopen claims for several previously denied conditions. The veteran was granted a 10% rating for an eyebrow scar but not for scars on the biceps or shoulder.

The Board remands the case for a comprehensive cardiology and psychiatric examination to determine the current state of the veteran's heart and anxiety disorder, respectively.

The Board granted service connection for coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease, both found to be proximately due to the veteran's service-connected type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for a heart disorder and Parkinson's disease as there was no evidence of these conditions during service or within the applicable presumptive period, and no evidence linking them to any incident of service.

The claim of service connection for an acquired heart disability was reopened based on new and material evidence.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, but denied the claim on the merits. The claim for service connection for a heart disability was not reopened.