Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims for service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disability, and prostate cancer were denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his military service. The Board found that the presumptive service connection provisions do not apply due to lack of exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and special monthly compensation, finding no evidence of prior claims. The claim for ischemic heart disease was remanded to obtain relevant medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current heart disorder and his military service. The Court found that the VA examiner relied only on service medical records, which did not consider the Veteran's post-service assertions of in-service chest pain and shortness of breath.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inconsistencies in the July 2010 VA examination report and the Veteran's lay statements regarding his psychiatric and heart disabilities.

The Board found that the appellant's symptoms during service were not indicative of a current disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service, and to obtain VA treatment records. The claims for service connection are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of verification regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Guam, and for obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a heart disability and granted service connection on de novo review, finding that his current non-ischemic cardiomyopathy is causally related to his service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development, including review of new evidence and scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board has decided that the case needs to be remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's heart condition. The appeal is not about service connection via a presumption or reopening of a previously denied claim.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred from February 18 to February 19, 2010 is granted due to the emergent nature of his treatment and the availability of VA facilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's valvular heart disease is related to his service-connected rheumatic fever, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA care, but his service-connected hypertension contributed to his death. The cause of death was coronary artery disease, with significant contributing conditions being hypertensive vascular disease and cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive arteriosclerotic heart disease or ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of the claims file.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims can be fully adjudicated.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease with hypertension has been granted service connection and assigned a 30 percent disability rating, effective August 1, 2006. A separate 20 percent rating for hypertension is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, finding that there was no evidence to support his contention that his current heart disease began during or was caused by his military service.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than October 5, 2006 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied. The Board found that prior to this date, there was no indication that he had filed a formal or informal claim for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, PTSD, and respiratory disability are related to his service. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that there is no direct evidence linking the Veteran's current heart disability to his service, and finds that it was not aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder. The claim for secondary service connection is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart disability has been withdrawn, and the Board finds that the matter is dismissed as moot due to a grant of service connection in a separate rating decision.