Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including VA examinations and obtaining additional medical records.

The Veteran's heart disorder and coronary bypass surgery are not service-connected as there is no evidence of a heart disability during or within one year after his military service, nor any link to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss did not cause or contribute to his death. The immediate and underlying causes of death were heart disease and pneumonia, which were not related to his military service.

The Board found that the cause of death was not due to a service-connected condition, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders, heart disorders, and bilateral eye disorders. The issues have been characterized as whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen these claims.

The Veteran's heart condition is being reviewed for service connection as secondary to his service-connected squamous cell carcinoma of the left false vocal cord. The issue of diabetes, including due to Agent Orange exposure, and a heart disorder secondary to diabetes are also pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension, as well as his claim for an increased rating for PTSD. The Veteran was granted a higher rating for PTSD in December 2007.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including myocardial infarction.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding whether service-connected PTSD contributed substantially or materially to cause the veteran's death. The issue of entitlement to death pension benefits is also being addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection claims, including those related to diabetes mellitus and its secondary conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and need for further medical examinations. The Veteran will be scheduled for VA examinations to determine his current conditions, their etiology, and how they affect his employment.

The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's cause of death, including his chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and congestive heart failure, was not caused by or a result of his service-connected residuals of a shrapnel wound to the right anterior chest wall. The Board affords more weight to this opinion than to the private practitioner's opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for coronary artery disease and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, were denied by the RO. The Veteran was not granted any new evaluations or connections.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hypertension, heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, and diabetic nephropathy as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for either claimed heart disability or psychiatric disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA medical examination and further development of the record, including obtaining relevant medical evidence such as METs scores.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to reopen his service connection claims for arteriosclerotic heart disease with congestive heart failure and bilateral pes planus, finding that new and material evidence had not been received.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the appellant's claims for service connection for gastro-intestinal disability, left knee disability, heart disability, and right inguinal hernia. As a result, these claims remain denied.

The Veteran's heart condition is not related to service, and the issue of service connection for a thyroid disorder was dismissed. The Veteran's PTSD has been granted an initial evaluation of 70 percent.,The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity.