Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for further proceedings due to outstanding private cardiology records. The case will be returned to the RO after they have been obtained and reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits records. The Veteran's claims will be readjudicated after these additional actions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for kidney stones, skin cancer, hypertension, coronary artery disease, depression and anxiety, and PTSD have been granted based on presumed exposure to Agent Orange during his Vietnam service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current heart disorder, including paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) and atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter, was initially manifested during active service. Therefore, the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues except arteriosclerotic heart disease (coronary artery disease) is dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran has coronary artery disease, presumed to have been incurred due to herbicide exposure during his Vietnam service.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for coronary artery disease but denied all other claims due to lack of current diagnoses and insufficient evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, including bilateral pes planus, PTSD, ascariasis, and infectious hepatitis.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability or heart condition during the Veteran's service, and denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for arterial hypertension, diabetic nephropathy, chronic venous insufficiency of the left and right lower extremities (claimed as poor circulation), and a heart condition all secondary to diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition, including his right bundle branch block, is not related to service and cannot be considered secondary to a service-connected disability. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for diabetic retinopathy and an initial rating of 60 percent for coronary artery disease, effective from the date of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inconsistencies in the Veteran's service records and need for additional evidence, including SSA disability records. The appeal will be reconsidered with consideration of new regulations regarding PTSD and ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension, which he argues is due to his service-connected Hodgkin's disease and heart condition/pacemaker. The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an opinion regarding the relationship between hypertension and the service-connected conditions.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and provide a de novo review of the record, including seeking an opinion on whether rheumatic heart disease contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for myocardial infarction/heart disease, to include as secondary to service-connected disability (hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II), was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination. As the regulation is dispositive in this case, the claim must be denied.

The Veteran's heart disease with hypertension was granted a disability evaluation of 30 percent effective October 6, 1998. The claim for TDIU prior to November 7, 2002 is also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (ASCAD) status post coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) is currently rated at 10 percent, and the evidence does not support an increase in evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's current gout, diabetes mellitus, and heart disorder did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to his military service. The claims were denied.

The Veteran died in February 2006 from heart conditions, and the Appellant is seeking service connection for his death. The Board finds that additional development of the evidence is required due to incomplete records and potential SPRs.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for acyanotic congenital heart disease with atrial septal defect and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The case is now remanded to determine if the condition was aggravated by military service or resulted from a superimposed injury.