Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2011

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death due to ischemic heart disease, which is presumed based on exposure to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease and hypertension as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board found no evidence of a current heart disorder, including dilated congestive cardiomyopathy and mitral valve prolapse, that is related to service. The appellant was not granted eligibility for non-service-connected disability pension benefits due to lack of qualifying active service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted as it falls under the presumptive exposure to herbicide agents due to his service in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Veteran's death was found to be due to ischemic heart disease, specifically coronary artery disease. The Board granted service connection for this condition as the result of exposure to herbicides for purposes of accrued benefits.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need to determine his actual service in Vietnam and whether he was exposed to herbicides. The secondary service-connection claims will also be addressed.

The Veteran's death was attributed to coronary artery disease and hypertension, with the VA examiner concluding that PTSD did not contribute substantially or materially to his cause of death.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, which was presumed to have been incurred due to his exposure to Agent Orange during service, contributed substantially or materially to cause his death from congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for a medical opinion to determine if it is at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits, finding that her disabilities did not render her unemployable and that she met the schedular requirements for consideration but was not permanently and totally disabled.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosed heart disability and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and therefore cannot establish presumptive service connection for coronary artery disease due to herbicide exposure. Bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred during active duty, as evidenced by audiometric testing meeting VA criteria for a disability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially to his death, which was caused by a hip fracture resulting from nightmares related to the PTSD.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus, heart disorder, and back disorder. The Board finds there are issues regarding exposure to herbicides but the required evidentiary development procedures have not been followed. Additional medical records are needed and a supplemental opinion on whether congenital lumbar stenosis was aggravated by superimposed disease or injury is also needed.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II with nephropathy was granted an initial rating of 10 percent. Service connection for coronary artery disease and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) were granted as secondary to the service-connected diabetes. However, service connection for conjunctivitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) were denied.

The cause of the Veteran's death was listed as lung cancer, with coronary artery disease noted as a significant condition contributing to death.,Service connection for the cause of death was not granted because there is no evidence that the Veteran's service-connected psychiatric disability caused or contributed substantially to his death.

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease, status myocardial infarction, and coronary artery bypass grafting.,For the time period from May 1, 2006 to January 12, 2009, the Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ankle disorder, allergic rhinitis, and heart disease manifested by first degree atrioventricular block. The Veteran did not have a current disability for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected sarcoidosis with pulmonary and renal involvement.

The Board has denied the reopening of claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted to support these claims.