Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disorder, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral hands and feet, and cardiovascular disease. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, including as due to herbicide exposure, is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records from a private physician. The current rating of 10 percent for arteriosclerotic heart disease is under review.

The Board found that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease were not incurred or aggravated by his service, as there was no evidence of such diseases during service. The acquired psychiatric disorder was diagnosed during the appeal period but the examiner could not determine if it was caused or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal was granted, with a 70% rating for PTSD and a TDIU. The initial 30 percent ratings for CAD remain unchanged.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the death of the appellant, and thus no jurisdiction remains to adjudicate the merits of the case.

The Veteran does not have a current cardiac disability, including ischemic heart disease and a heart murmur, that is related to service. The Board finds no evidence of such disabilities in service or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's heart disability, specifically ischemic cardiomyopathy with an automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillator, was found to have an ejection fraction consistently below 30 percent during the period from January 1, 1993, to February 24, 1998. As a result, the Board granted a schedular maximum evaluation of 100% for this period.

The Veteran claims service connection for a heart disability, which he contends is due to herbicide exposure while serving aboard the USS Chara. The Board has ordered additional deck logs from the USS Chara and requests for medical records from various providers.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes and coronary artery disease, which he claims are secondary to medications prescribed for his service-connected schizophrenia. The Board has determined that additional medical examination and opinion are necessary in this case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is related to his active military service due to ischemic heart disease, which was presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure. The Board also found that the ischemic heart disease contributed to the cause of death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records and a VA psychiatric examination to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD. The examiner will also address the functional impairment caused by both PTSD and ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is granted as service connected, with no specific rating assigned and effective date not specified.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 50 percent disabling.,He does not have additional disability, including of the heart, due to VA prescribed medication.

The Board has remanded the cause-of-death claim due to incomplete records and need for further development, including obtaining medical records from Wilford Hall and providing an opinion on the cause of death.

The Veteran's death in August 2008 was not related to a service-connected disability or service, and the Board found that his headaches did not contribute substantially or materially to cause his death.

The Board found that the effective dates for service connection and a 100% disability rating for ischemic heart disease cannot be earlier than October 19, 2007 (for service connection) and July 7, 2010 (for the 100% rating), as there was no evidence of these conditions prior to those dates.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, including coronary artery disease, was granted with an effective date of March 28, 1989. The VA has also determined that the current ratings are appropriate.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, endocarditis, diabetes mellitus, residuals of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke), and a vascular disability as there is no competent evidence showing these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is not caused or worsened by his service-connected coronary artery disease, and thus denied the claim for secondary service connection.