Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran is seeking an increased rating for his ischemic heart disease with atrial fibrillation. The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the current level of disability.

The Board denied service connection for CAD, sleep apnea, and COPD as not incurred or aggravated by active service. The Veteran's conditions were found to be not related to herbicide exposure in Thailand.

The Veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show a worsening of his service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease is denied as he did not file a formal or informal claim prior to March 25, 2010. The Board finds that the earliest possible effective date is March 25, 2010, when his claim to reopen was received by VA.

The Veteran's appeal was not timely filed, and his claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence was not received to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Board found that the evidence did not establish a service connection for heart disease as it was not caused by active service, manifested during active service or within one year of separation from service, or related to active service.

The Veteran's heart disability, hyperparathyroidism, and osteoporosis/osteopenia were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a heart disability that was incurred in or aggravated by service, or within the first post-service year. Service connection is also denied for hyperparathyroidism and osteoporosis as secondary to service-connected sarcoidosis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a head laceration with loss of consciousness is denied. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and major depressive disorder) are pending as additional evidence may be needed to establish the presence or etiology of these conditions. Service connection for coronary artery disease secondary to PTSD remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease on a presumptive basis due to the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities was granted effective as of April 13, 2006. The Board found that the increase in disability occurred more than one year prior to the date of the claim and thus denied an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease was not incurred or presumed to have been incurred in active service, and thus the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition and a psychiatric disorder, to include major depressive disorder, have been denied as there is no evidence showing that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral pes planus and a heart disorder, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for peripheral edema of the bilateral lower extremities has been dismissed as he requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Veteran's cause of death (acute coronary syndrome, coronary artery disease, and acute renal failure) was not caused or aggravated by any service-connected disability. The Board found that the Veteran's myelodysplastic syndrome did not have a direct relationship to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disease is not related to service or any service-connected disability, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for an aortic aneurysm has been dismissed as moot due to the full grant of the benefit sought on appeal with respect to his claim of service connection for valvular heart disease with bicuspid aortic insufficiency, aortic aneurysm of both the ascending and descending thoracic aorta, and aortic aneurysm of the aortic root.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection of a heart disability, and the Board is dismissing this issue.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, secondary to his PTSD, was granted. His PTSD disability rating is increased to 70 percent effective September 7, 2012.