Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2013

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, chronic migraines, and coronary artery disease, render him unemployable without regard to age or non-service-connected disorders. The Board grants a TDIU based on the evidence showing that his service-connected conditions prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his disabilities are not related to his military service, including exposure to contaminants.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by, or substantially or materially contributed to, a disability incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for status post myocardial infarction and heart murmurs/irregular heart rate have been denied as there is no evidence of these conditions during his military service, and the medical records do not support a link to service.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disorders were not present in service, did not manifest to a compensably disabling degree within the first year after his discharge from active duty, and are not shown to be etiologically related to service or presumed herbicide exposure.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied.

The Board is remanding the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination, and addressing the timeliness of the NODs and new and material evidence issues.

The Board found that a heart disorder, including hypertension, was not related to service and denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied. The RO awarded service connection for COPD with a 100% evaluation effective November 4, 2011 and granted an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. However, the issue of TDIU is on hold as it requires further development.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is service-connected due to his in-service exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 29, 2005 for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease is denied as a matter of law.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of tonsillitis, to include a heart condition, is being remanded due to the need for further development and clarification of his current diagnoses and etiology.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a heart disability, hypertension, and bladder disability due to issues with the VA examiner's opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and coronary artery disease as presumptively related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The Veteran's skin disorders, hypertension, heart disease, and eye disorder are not service connected.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred on July 24, 2006 were not reimbursable because VA facilities were feasibly available and the emergency nature of his condition was not established.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorders and hypertension were not incurred or aggravated in service, nor could they be presumed to be due to exposure to herbicides. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, a blood disorder, a respiratory condition, and a heart disorder have been denied. The Board finds no evidence of these conditions during or after service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for coronary artery disease with history of myocardial infarction and coronary artery bypass graft was denied as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim prior to June 3, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened, but his claim for ischemic heart disease remains denied as the evidence does not support a direct relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that he is entitled to a TDIU rating.