Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination and obtaining medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disorder began during his Reserve service and is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the merits of his service connection claims, including obtaining medical records from providers who treated him prior to 2001 and scheduling a VA examination with a cardiologist.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to the appellant's character of discharge and eligibility for VA benefits.

The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to atherosclerotic heart disease and hypertensive vascular disease, effective October 7, 2004.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for various conditions, including erectile dysfunction, hypertension, a heart condition, and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, all secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II. The Board has determined that additional development is needed.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and a VA examination to determine if any lung or heart disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's service records do not show any diagnosis or treatment for a heart disorder or hypertension. Post-service medical records indicate intermittent complaints of chest pain and hypertension, but no current diagnoses have been established. The Board finds that the evidence does not meet the criteria for service connection under direct service connection provisions.

The Board denied the claim that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities caused his death, finding no evidence to support this assertion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left hip disorder, heart disorder, lower back disorder, and upper back disorder with neck pain are not established as these conditions were either not present in-service or have no link to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and employment information. The VA will also schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran's post-service COPD and coronary atherosclerotic heart disease were related to his service, including herbicide exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's requests to reopen claims for service connection for a heart condition, hepatitis, and bronchial condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic chest pain and a heart condition have been denied.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease were granted a 30 percent rating as of January 7, 2009. The claim remains in appellate status for the period prior to that date.

The Veteran's cause of death was not service-connected, and the criteria for DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Board denied service connection for blurry vision, a nervous disorder, and coronary artery disease. The decision found no current diagnosis of these conditions and insufficient evidence to establish their relationship with the Veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for prostate disability, heart disability (sinus bradycardia, atrioventricular block and right bundle branch block), arthritis, a disability of the hands and feet, to include residuals of frostbite, bilateral eye disability, tinnitus, and bilateral leg disability. The Board found no relationship between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's kidney disorder, diagnosed as diabetic nephropathy, is found to be etiologically related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. However, the Veteran's coronary artery disease was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not considered secondary to diabetes mellitus.