Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2013

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to myocardial infarction, finding that the Veteran's anxiety and malaria did not contribute substantially or materially to his death. The cardiovascular disease was not found to be related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disability did not begin in service or within a year of separation from service and is not attributable to his military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an updated opinion regarding the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities, including newly granted ischemic heart disease.

The Board denied service connection for diabetes mellitus, CAD, hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and trigger finger repair of the right thumb due to a lack of evidence showing exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. The Veteran's service records indicate he served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk but did not provide sufficient evidence that he was present on landmass or inland waters of Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 1, 2009 for payment of additional compensation for his current spouse. The decision was based on the fact that notice of his marriage to his current spouse was not received at the RO within one year of their marriage or prior to February 10, 2009.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral shoulder pain and a heart disorder, both considered due to an undiagnosed illness.,Further development is needed for the remaining claims.

The Veteran was granted a 60 percent disability rating for his heart condition from April 1, 2007 to December 27, 2008.,A TDIU was also granted effective from April 1, 2007 to December 27, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back, left knee, and coronary artery disease with left ventricular hypertrophy and mitral valve regurgitation, status post angioplasty, disabilities are all service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his heart disability and service-connected secondary hypothyroidism, status post radiation of thyroid. The case will be returned for further adjudication.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including residuals of colon cancer, right shoulder disability, left testicle disability, bronchitis/asthma, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and heart disability. The appeals were based on new and material evidence for residuals of colon cancer.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lung, heart, kidney, and prostate disabilities were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The VA medical opinions found no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for the cause of death and to determine if the Veteran had a prior period of service from July 1941 to February 1946 (and was a POW).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease and the residuals of a myocardial infarction is being remanded due to incomplete records, need for additional medical opinions, and proper notification.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is found to be due to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange in the Republic of Vietnam. The claim for PTSD has been reopened and granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, claimed as right heart enlargement, was granted. However, her claim for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, claimed as depression secondary to the heart disorder, was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board grants a TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, tinea versicolor, vision disorder, and bilateral arteriosclerosis obliterans are all granted on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not proximately caused by any error in judgment, carelessness, negligence, or similar instance of fault on the part of VA. The appellant claimed that the medications prescribed at VA facilities caused liver toxicity and contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination to determine if hypertension is proximately due to or aggravated by service-connected coronary artery disease and post traumatic stress disorder.

The Veteran's current cardiac disease was not incurred or aggravated in service and the claim for service connection is denied.