Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2013

The Veteran's hypertension and heart condition did not manifest during active service or within one year of separation, and are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, which he claims is related to in-service herbicide exposure, has been remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete medical records from Centennial Medical Center, which are needed to determine if the appellant's need for aid and attendance began prior to January 4, 2010.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension and a higher evaluation for his upper extremity neuropathies. He also seeks severance of service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD).,The Board has determined that the issue of whether the severance of service connection for CAD was proper needs to be remanded due to additional development being required.,The Veteran is seeking a higher evaluation for his depression and headaches, as well as TDIU. He also seeks an earlier effective date for his upper extremity neuropathies.,The Veteran is seeking a higher evaluation for his right and left upper extremity neuropathies. The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the severity of these conditions.,The Veteran is seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, including hypertension, coronary artery disease, depression, and upper extremity neuropathies. Additional development is required for this issue as well.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from Johnston Memorial Hospital in Smithfield, North Carolina.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting aortic valve disease likely increased in severity during his second period of service, and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 1979 to 2006, scheduling a VA examination for the duodenal ulcer with gastroesophageal reflux disease, arranging for an opinion on the etiology of hypertension and pes planus, and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining more complete service records and providing VA medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for lung and heart disorders, finding that the evidence did not establish a direct link between these conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart condition has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has granted service connection for the claimed conditions and assigned a 20% disability rating effective from the date of the decision.

The Board denied an increased rating for diabetes mellitus and found no basis for a separate evaluation of erectile dysfunction. The hypertension and heart condition claims are remanded as the VA examiner's opinion did not address whether these conditions were caused or aggravated by diabetes.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses is being remanded to consider if the emergency treatment was related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and hypothyroidism, all secondary to exposure to ionizing radiation. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for substance abuse, a disorder of the pancreas, and a disorder of the liver as secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disorders. The claim for heart disease was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have been shown to prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for ischemic heart disease to include hypercholesterolemia prior to the Board's decision.

The appellant is not permanently incapable of self-support due to a mental or physical condition prior to reaching the age of 18, as there are no records indicating such incapacity at that time.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to assess whether the Veteran has coronary artery disease and if it is related to his service in Vietnam. The claim will be reconsidered after this development.