Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2013

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than September 17, 1984 was denied as there is no evidence of a heart condition prior to that date. The Board granted the Veteran's service connection for coronary artery disease based on presumptive exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam War service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to October 4, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a diagnosed heart disability, and therefore service connection for a heart disability manifested by an irregular heartbeat is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of sufficient severity to preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran's net worth does not constitute a bar to receipt of nonservice-connected pension benefits due to his and his wife's current financial situation, life expectancy, and health status.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further proceedings due to the need for an updated VA examination and consideration of his service-connected disabilities in determining his employability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral pes planus is denied as there is no competent, credible and probative evidence of current bilateral pes planus.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of frostbite of the bilateral knees (claimed as knee disability) is denied as there is no competent, probative medical evidence of any residuals of frostbite or any knee disability.,The Veteran's request to reopen a previously disallowed claim for service connection for heart disorder (previously characterized as rheumatic heart disease and claimed as a heart murmur) has not been met with new and material evidence. The January 1960 denial remains final.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is denied as the symptoms do not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 9411.,The Veteran's request for an effective date earlier than December 17, 2008 for service connection for PTSD lacks legal merit.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for sarcoidosis, service connection for a bilateral hand disorder and heart disorder secondary to sarcoidosis, and TDIU are all granted.

The Board denied service connection for a heart condition and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for the Veteran's scar of the left wrist, finding no evidence of an etiological relationship between his diagnosed conditions and active service.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability is being remanded due to the addition of service-connected disabilities since his last examination, and the need for further examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchial asthma, seizure disorder (secondary to bronchial asthma), and chronic heart disease (secondary to bronchial asthma) are being remanded due to the need for further review by the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, heart disability, and right eye macular degeneration/scar due to chemical burn during service. The rating for residuals of a chemical burn to the right eye was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for hypothyroid disease and service connection for a skin disorder have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 30 percent prior to February 14, 2012, or in excess of 60 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's throat cancer, lymph node cancer, and coronary artery disease are found to be related to his service in Vietnam due to exposure to herbicides.

The Board denied the appellant's claim to reopen her service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted. The appellant appealed this decision but was ultimately denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diabetes, eye disorder, heart disorder, and hypertension are not related to his military service or any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his service-connected atherosclerotic heart disease was granted, with an effective date of June 30, 2009. The Board increased the rating to 60 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board found that the Veteran's current heart conditions, including coronary artery disease and a benign heart murmur from service, are not related to his military service.