Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2009

The Board has denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD) as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus, finding that CAD was not present in service and is not otherwise related to active duty or proximately due to, or aggravated by service-connected disability.

The Board has denied all service connection claims as there is no competent evidence of current disabilities for the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, myocardial infarction due to severe arrhythmia and coronary artery disease, was not related to his service. The underlying condition, coronary artery disease, was not shown during service or within one year post-service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied, as no formal or informal claim was received prior to April 4, 2006. The initial evaluation in excess of 0 percent for a bilateral hearing loss disability was also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for brain damage, bipolar exacerbation, thyroid disorder, and heart disorder as they were not caused by VA hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, or examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD has permanently aggravated his coronary artery disease, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied service connection for pancreatitis with pancreatic cyst, diabetes mellitus, and a heart condition as they were not related to the Veteran's military service or exposure to Agent Orange. The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 10 percent and did not meet the criteria for a total rating based on unemployability.

The appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence to address the etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for several conditions, but reopened the claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder based on new and material evidence.

The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on the relationship between the Veteran's carcinoma of the left tonsil and service, including exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was reopened and remanded, the claim for a heart condition (myocardial infarction) was denied, and the rating for PTSD was increased to 50 percent from August 16, 2008.

The Board denied an increased rating for coronary artery disease, status-post coronary artery bypass surgery, as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation under the applicable criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, including CAD, as there was no evidence linking the condition to his active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, including a fall in 1976. The claim for ischemic heart disease is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease, finding no evidence linking his current condition to active military service or his service-connected COPD.

The Veteran's hearing loss was denied, while his coronary artery disease, including atherosclerotic heart disease, was granted as related to service.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus and arteriosclerotic heart disease as there is no evidence of these conditions during active service or within one year of discharge, and no evidence linking them to an established event, injury, or disease in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, stroke, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the prior denials or there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The appeal is remanded to the Board for further development and readjudication of the claims.

The Board remands the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a heart condition to the RO for further development, including obtaining additional medical evidence.