Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2012

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for a heart disorder, secondary to service-connected Lyme disease.,The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sleep disorder, erectile disorder, and kidney disorder with irritable bladder are all granted as secondary to his service-connected Lyme disease.,A disability rating in excess of 10 percent is granted for status post hemorrhoidectomy and external sphincterotomy from December 29, 2005, to March 30, 2009.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for a heart disorder. The appellant's heart condition is now considered for reopening, but further development is needed regarding his periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling a VA heart examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record. The intestinal parasitism issue was remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge. The issues of increased rating for lumbosacral strain, benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for a heart disorder, and total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities are pending.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral olecranon bursitis and a heart condition, both presumed to be due to an undiagnosed illness related to service in the Southwest Asia theater during the Persian Gulf War.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. A comprehensive VA examination is also required to determine the etiology of his heart disease.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including gout, parasites and ova, hypertension, atherosclerotic heart disease, and benign prostatic hypertrophy. The Veteran's STRs do not show any treatment or diagnosis of these conditions during active military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorder, other than his service-connected systolic heart murmur, was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not causally related to his service-connected systolic heart murmur.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and TDIU were denied. The Board found that the criteria for an effective date prior to September 25, 1996, for bilateral hearing loss and prior to January 18, 1994, for TDIU have not been met.

The Board has ordered a remand for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination with an appropriate medical specialist in cardiology. The appeal will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease was evaluated at a 10 percent rating from February 28, 2001 to March 20, 2001 and June 22, 2001 to May 11, 2004. The Board found no evidence of more than the required METs for this period.

The Veteran's death was caused by end stage renal disease, which is considered service-connected.,The Veteran also had other conditions such as COPD and peripheral vascular disease that contributed to his death.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of herbicide exposure and obtaining outstanding treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and thus denied all of his claims.

The Veteran's service-connected residuals of transient ischemic attacks with status post left carotid angioplasty and stent are manifested by no more than symptoms of dizziness, warranting a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and multiple knee conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, which was presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure during service in Thailand, is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his death. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.