Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Board found that the cause of death was heat hyperpyrexia (heat stroke) with rheumatic heart disease contributing to death, but not resulting in the underlying cause. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied as there is no evidence linking the Veteran's death to his military service or any presumptive conditions.

The Board has granted the claim of service connection for ischemic heart disease on a presumptive basis due to exposure to herbicides during active duty.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for hypertension as secondary to his service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and service connection were denied as the earliest effective date allowed by law is August 13, 2010.

The Board denied service connection for Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease, finding that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides or radiation in Vietnam. The diseases are presumed by law to be related to such exposures, but there is no evidence of actual exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disorder, hypertension (HTN), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The earlier effective date claim for left hand DJD and left ankle DJD was also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to additional medical records received in February 2014.

The Veteran is entitled to a 60 percent evaluation for Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease prior to November 19, 2009 and an earlier effective date of July 7, 2004.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge (VLJ). The issues of service connection for hypertension, temporary total evaluation following surgical treatment for detached retina, and effective date for coronary artery disease are pending.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection and compensation for coronary artery disease, which was based on his exposure to Agent Orange, is denied as it does not meet the criteria established by law.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and insufficient information regarding herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Veteran's congestive heart failure, presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during service in Vietnam, is granted as service connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorder, post-operative severe congenital bicuspid aortic stenosis, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The condition is considered to be congenital and did not worsen beyond its natural progression during any period of active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease has been rated at 30 percent since May 20, 2010.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss effective from June 4, 2010.,He was also awarded additional compensation for a dependent spouse effective from June 2, 2008.

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

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is found to have contributed to his death, and the Board grants service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease was denied as the informal claim for non-service connected pension benefits filed in May 1996 cannot reasonably be viewed as indicating an intent to apply for compensation for ischemic heart disease.