Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disorder are not related to his military service, including presumed exposure to herbicides. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU benefits is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and a heart disability, all potentially related to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the Veteran's claimed herbicide exposure and obtain outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (CAD) due to herbicide exposure is granted.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease with minimal cardiomegaly does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating as there is no evidence of chronic congestive heart failure, and his METS level has been estimated between 4 and 5.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues, and the Veteran should be re-scheduled for a videoconference hearing at the RO in North Carolina.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected duodenum ulcer caused or contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of death.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertensive heart disease and pacemaker implant were not incurred or aggravated by military service, may not be presumed to be and are not secondary to a service-connected disability.

The Board found no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and denied the claims for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and heart disability as they are not presumed due to service.

The Veteran's service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease with angina and hypertension is considered to have contributed substantially or materially to his death from small cell carcinoma of the lung.

The Board finds there is competent evidence tending to establish coronary artery disease related to service, and thus grants the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted. The claim was previously denied in July 1998 due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient notice and a need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and determining if service connection is warranted.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current low back disability, but there is insufficient evidence to determine if it was caused by service or another condition.

The Veteran's atherosclerotic coronary artery disease is presumed to have been incurred in active military service.,Hypertension was not shown during service or within the first post-service year, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure. Therefore, presumptive service connection for hypertension based on herbicide exposure is denied.,Hypercholesterolemia is a laboratory finding and not a recognized disability for which VA benefits may be awarded.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing or videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board.

The Veteran's diabetes, coronary artery disease, and nephropathy are not rated higher than the current levels. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for impotence or TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 70 percent since September 12, 2005. He is also service-connected for ischemic heart disease and tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, left upper extremity tremor, hypertension, heart disease (claimed as coronary artery disease), positional vertigo, and sleep apnea are secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury.

The Board found that a heart disability to include paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was not incurred in or aggravated by service and service connection for a heart disease disability may not be presumed based on the one-year presumption for a chronic disease.