Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2011

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, but denied the remaining claims. The Veteran's right ear hearing acuity was noted to be within normal limits throughout his military service and post-service evaluations. Service connection is granted for coronary artery disease (CAD) with a non-compensable evaluation.

The Board finds that the Veteran's death is likely due to ischemic heart disease, which was presumed to be caused by his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The acute myocardial infarction resulting in death is also considered likely related to his diabetes and service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not contribute substantially and materially to his death, as it was merely a significant condition contributing to death. The causes of death (acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease) were not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his death due, in part, from congestive heart failure caused by coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and the Board finds that his cause of death (atherosclerotic coronary artery disease) is not related to his service-connected left foot disability.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected conditions to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed coronary artery disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange, and thus grants service connection for heart disease.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is granted, and his peripheral neuropathy of the upper left, right, lower right, and lower left extremities are all rated at their maximum allowable levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current heart disorder and therefore, service connection for a heart disorder is denied.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's claim of service connection for heart disability, finding no new and material evidence to support his claim. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disorder did not clearly and unmistakably pre-exist service, nor were they aggravated by service. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease as secondary to Agent Orange exposure and denied the claim for lung cancer, finding no evidence of such condition during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for heart disease was granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents. The claim for an earlier effective date for the PTSD rating increase was denied as no evidence showed an increase in disability prior to August 24, 2005.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and opinions regarding his heart disability and left diaphragm palsy. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's current hypertension, heart disease, thyroid cancer, and residuals of thyroidectomy are not related to his service. The Board finds that the claim for these conditions must be denied.

The Veteran's cause of death is determined to be caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease, which was presumed due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The appellant is therefore granted DIC benefits.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart conditions did not have onset during service and are not otherwise related to service or a service-connected disability, including the service-connected partial nephrectomy, left and chronic bilateral nephrolithiasis.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and ensuring proper notification of the appellant.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to service, while his heart disorder is not established as due to herbicide exposure. Service connection for the former is granted, but not for the latter.