Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verifying periods of active duty and obtaining medical opinions to determine if current heart and right hand disabilities are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for a cardiac disability, finding that the Veteran's current heart conditions did not manifest during or within one year of his military service and could not be linked to any in-service disease or injury.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that it is not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran was employed on a full-time basis until July 18, 2007. Therefore, his service-connected conditions did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a supplemental VA opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension and his service-connected diabetes and ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his service connection claims, including obtaining records from his Army Reserve service and considering the applicability of a finality rule.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining mental hygiene records from service and seeking verification of a claimed in-service stressor. The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is also inextricably intertwined with his claim for service connection for hypertension with CAD.

The Board is remanding the Veteran's claims for further development, including verification of his service period and additional medical examinations to determine if he has an acquired psychiatric disorder or coronary artery disease that was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU rating is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records. The issues include service connection for multiple disabilities, including right knee, left knee, right shoulder, left shoulder, respiratory disorder, anemia, and edema of lower extremities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was incurred in service and his coronary artery disease is at least as likely as not related to his hypertension. Therefore, both conditions are granted service connection.

The Board has found that additional development is needed to obtain outstanding private treatment records from the Veteran's identified physicians. The appeal will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, sun (heat) stroke, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include depression were denied as there is no evidence of a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the cause of the Veteran's death and whether his service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The case will be returned for further action.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, including prostate cancer and atherosclerotic heart disease. The opinion provided considered both the timing of the diagnoses and the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's abdominal aortic aneurysm and heart disorder are being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service department records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding medical records and further examination is needed for some of the claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, diabetic retinopathy, and coronary artery disease. The decision also addressed silicosis but did not provide a rating or effective date.

The Board has remanded the case for further action, including scheduling a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge sitting at the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disorder existed prior to service and was not aggravated during service beyond its natural progression, thus denying entitlement to service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's death was caused by a service-connected disability and whether his alcohol abuse, arteriosclerotic heart disease, hypertension, or transient ischemic attacks were related to any such disability. The VA will obtain relevant medical records and provide an opinion on these issues.