Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities require the regular aid and attendance of another person to perform activities of daily living and protect him from daily life hazards.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions on service connection and aid and attendance.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine if the Veteran experienced additional disability due to a December 2002 VA cervical spine tumor resection surgery, and whether informed consent was obtained in compliance with regulations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and higher initial ratings were denied. The heart disorder claim was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The diabetes mellitus claim resulted in a 10% rating, which is the maximum allowed under the criteria. The left and right lower extremity neuropathy claims were granted with each receiving a 20% rating.

The Board has granted restoration of a 60% disability rating for rheumatic heart disease, TDIU, and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Veteran's cardiac disorder may be due to or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD, but the current evidence is insufficient to determine this with certainty. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran does not currently have a heart disability for purposes of service connection.

The Board has determined that additional action is required due to the possibility of missing records from the Palo Alto VA Medical Center. The case will be remanded for clarification and further review.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension secondary to service-connected PTSD, finding that the evidence did not support a finding of causation or aggravation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for liver disease and arthritis/gout.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and heart condition. The decision found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type 2.

The Board found that the Veteran's current heart disability did not have its onset in service and is not related to any incident of service. Therefore, service connection for a heart disability was denied.

The Board found that the appellant did not have rheumatic fever in service and that his current heart conditions are not related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's combined schedular evaluation for all service-connected disabilities was denied prior to November 4, 2005. The issue of entitlement to service connection for posttraumatic arthritis of the right knee is also addressed.

The Board found no evidence of a left ankle disability or coronary artery disease in service and denied the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional information and possibly further development of his Social Security Administration (SSA) records, as well as details about his temporary duty assignment in Vietnam.

The Board found that the Veteran's current heart disorder did not begin in service, was not caused by any incident of service, and was not caused by or permanently worsened by his service-connected PTSD.