Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his mobility limitations, which are not considered equivalent to the loss of use of any extremity or blindness in both eyes.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations. The Veteran is seeking service connection for malaria and a heart condition, with malaria being secondary to his heart condition.

The Board has determined that the appellant did not submit new and material evidence to reopen her claim for revocation of forfeiture of VA benefits due to fraudulent medical evidence. The March 2002 forfeiture decision is final, and no further action can be taken on this issue.

The Board has determined that the debt due to overpayment of compensation benefits for a dependent spouse during the period May 1, 1991 to August 1, 2005 was validly created.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to coronary heart disease, which is not service-connected. The claim for non-service connected burial expenses has also been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. Service connection for the heart condition is remanded as additional development is needed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous audiological evaluation. The claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical services provided by Bryan/LGH Medical Center on December 19, 2005 was denied as the services were not related to a service-connected disability and he had not sought treatment within the VA health system within the 24 months prior to the incident.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetic nephropathy, diabetes mellitus, and various neuropathies of the lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board found no evidence that VA medical care caused the Veteran's additional heart, bone, or skin disabilities. The claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 were denied.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and it is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability. It may not be presumed to have been incurred therein.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease are not service-connected, and any secondary service connection claims have been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran had no heart condition during active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for septal deviation, service connection for tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, coronary artery disease (CAD), encephalopathy (claimed as headaches and vertigo), a bilateral hearing loss disability, neck injury residuals, and a lumbar spine disability. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for a heart condition and high blood pressure. The RO has combined these claims as characterized on the title page. A VA examination is needed to determine the nature and likely etiology of his claimed disabilities, including ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's heart disability is not manifested by more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure; a workload of greater than three METs but not greater than five METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness or syncope; or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent. As such, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for rheumatoid heart disease with mitral insufficiency is denied.

The Board denied service connection for cause of death due to COPD and other conditions, finding that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The claim was reopened based on new evidence (diabetes mellitus), but this alone is insufficient to establish service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disease did not preexist his service and was not aggravated by it. The claim for service connection is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or immediately after service, and the post-service diagnosis occurred too long after separation to establish continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disease are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are related to his service-connected anxiety disorder with panic disorder and depression.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and increased evaluations have been denied as there is no legal basis to grant these claims.