Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2008

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including reviewing additional evidence submitted by the appellant and providing a Statement of the Case on service connection issues.

The Board found that the veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability and denied his claim for service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of the veteran's service-connected disabilities. The claims for increased ratings will be reconsidered in light of any new evidence obtained.

The veteran died from coronary artery disease and was not receiving any VA compensation or pension at the time of his death. Therefore, he is ineligible for non-service-connected burial benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding that these conditions were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service. The Board also found no evidence of a nexus between his service-connected diabetes mellitus and his current diagnoses.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease warrants a rating of 60 percent, reflecting his left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent.

The veteran's claims for service connection and SMC were denied due to the lack of evidence showing a direct link between his conditions and his military service. The claim for PTSD was granted, but not at an increased rate.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, and there is no evidence to warrant referral for consideration of individual unemployability on an extra-schedular basis.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that his schizophrenia did not cause or contribute to his heart conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the severity of his coronary artery disease, and then for readjudication.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for acute rheumatic fever and service connection for coronary artery disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft, as secondary to his service-connected acute rheumatic fever.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, liver disability, and central nervous system ischemic changes. The evidence did not establish a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability, including hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding no evidence of such disabilities during or within one year after service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA medical records. The veteran's claim is also being reviewed to determine if she was exposed to a stressor in service that could support a PTSD diagnosis.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none of them were incurred or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a cardiac disability, finding that it was not incurred during his military service and is not related to his service-connected Type II diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking his cardiovascular problems to service or a service-connected condition. The Board also determined that the appellant is not eligible for non-service-connected VA death pension benefits due to her income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, to include hypertension, is being remanded due to the need for proper VCAA notice and an appropriate VA examination.

The veteran's claim to reopen the earlier effective date for his service connection for coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass graft was denied as a matter of law due to the finality of the prior Board decision.

The July 5, 1973 rating decision denied service connection for heart disease claimed as a heart murmur due to the correct application of the law and facts available at that time.