Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and a heart condition, finding that these conditions are not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected asbestosis.,The Board also found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's death was attributed to cardiopulmonary arrest due to old age. The service-connected disabilities (right eye defective vision and residuals of shrapnel wounds) did not cause or contribute to his death. Hypertension and heart conditions were first diagnosed decades after service discharge and are not attributable to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete verification of his exposure to Agent Orange in Korea. The Board will attempt to verify the allegations and then adjudicate the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease is denied as it does not meet the criteria under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in Vietnam and is therefore presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II are service-connected due to this exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition (coronary atherosclerosis status post angioplasty), colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence received since the November 2001 denial is considered new and material.,VA will obtain treatment records from the VA dated after November 2010 and associate them with the claims file.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and respiratory disorders on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran did not have confirmed service in Vietnam or any other area where he may have been exposed to herbicides.

The Board found no evidence of in-country service or exposure to herbicides, and thus could not grant service connection for any conditions on that basis. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease on a secondary basis to PTSD, finding that the Veteran's coronary artery disease is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a heart disorder, and therefore the claim is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a chronic heart disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including atherosclerotic heart disease with old myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of May 15, 2002. He met the threshold schedular requirements for an award of TDIU benefits under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) as of that date.

The Board is remanding the case for a new hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Veteran's claim of service connection for peripheral artery disease of the bilateral lower extremities will be considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and specifically denied service connection for the cause of death due to Agent Orange exposure or other herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, bilateral ED, cataracts, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and venous insufficiency of the lower extremities are all denied. The Board finds that there is no evidence to support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's cause of death, acute myocardial infarction and arteriosclerotic heart disease, was not caused or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The Board denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and erectile dysfunction are all found to be service-connected due to herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's heart disability, including mitral and aortic regurgitation, is granted service connection. The right knee disability secondary to the left knee disability remains pending.

The Veteran's death was caused by acute pulmonary edema, chronic ischemic heart disease, high blood pressure, and COPD. The appeal is remanded to obtain a medical opinion on the cause of death and to address the issue of burial benefits.