Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2013

The Board has found that the Veteran's heart disorder and stroke residuals are related to service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for an earlier effective date of service connection for coronary artery disease and a grant for purchasing an automobile and adaptive equipment, as the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD. The Board finds that the appellant is not entitled to DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease, diagnosed as coronary artery disease, is presumed to be a result of herbicide exposure during service. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred due to herbicide exposure. The Board found no credible evidence of herbicide exposure during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to May 18, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with the exception of a heart disability other than a heart murmur. The Board found that benign prostatic hypertrophy and associated voiding dysfunction, as well as renal and urinary tract disabilities including a right renal cyst, were incurred in active service. However, no service connection was established for a heart disability other than a heart murmur.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and finds that the Veteran's current heart disorders are at least as likely as not related to his in-service AAA. The Board also found that there is no aggravation of any nonservice-connected heart disorder due to the service-connected AAA.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and higher initial evaluation for coronary artery disease were denied as there was no evidence of the required manifestations to warrant a higher rating prior to May 26, 2010.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus with diabetic nephropathy, bilateral hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy of both upper and lower extremities, render him unable to engage in or retain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's erectile dysfunction is related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease. As such, the claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and ischemic heart disease (coronary artery disease) as secondary to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is currently evaluated at a 30 percent rating, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam, has been remanded for additional development including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his service, and thus denied service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's cardiovascular diseases did not have their onset during service and were not related to service. Therefore, they cannot be considered service-connected.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than May 6, 1996, for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease was denied as he did not submit a formal or informal claim prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including searching morning reports from March 1964 and April 1964 to determine if the Veteran set foot in Vietnam. The claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's claims for hepatitis C, heart disorder, and shrapnel wound of the abdomen were denied. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for complications from hernia surgery was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease, status post coronary artery bypass graft, are presumptively service-connected due to exposure to herbicides during service.