Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Board finds that the Veteran's diabetes mellitus, bilateral leg amputation, and congestive heart condition are related to his exposure to trichloroethylene during military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease status post open heart surgery are not related to his military service, and thus denied these claims. The claim for a compensable initial disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is also denied.

The Board granted an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease due to herbicide exposure, but denied a request for an even earlier effective date.,The Veteran's claim for reopening his hypertension was reopened based on new and material evidence submitted by his physician.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for Lyme disease and denied service connection for ischemic heart disease due to Agent Orange exposure. The Veteran's skin condition claim was not reopened.,The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim of service connection for a skin condition as due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's heart disability, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension are not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during his service in Korea.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current heart disability and acquired psychiatric disorder, specifically major depressive disorder, are related to his service. The heart condition is presumed to have started during service due to a myocardial infarction ruled out in 1988. The psychiatric disorder is presumed to have begun prior to service based on stressors experienced during the Veteran's last period of active duty.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities and denied his claims for service connection for amyloidosis and ischemic heart disease. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for severance of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and for service connection for left ear hearing loss. The claim to reopen a claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, arteriosclerotic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity, are found to be sufficient to preclude him from engaging in gainful employment. As a result, TDIU is granted.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 30 percent prior to June 18, 2014. From that date, the rating for PTSD increased to 50 percent. The initial rating for CAD remains unchanged.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining pertinent VA treatment records and scheduling him for a VA psychiatric and heart condition examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death (lung cancer) was not caused or contributed to by a service-connected disability. The VA examiners concluded that PTSD did not contribute substantially or materially to the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service. The heart condition is not found to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal, and thus the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claim.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is the cause of his erectile dysfunction. The effective date for this service connection is set at February 18, 1999.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for a 100 percent evaluation for his service-connected coronary artery disease. The case is being remanded to obtain additional VA medical records and consider whether referral to the Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration is warranted.

The Veteran was awarded a permanent and total disability rating for ischemic heart disease, effective May 2010. The appellant's daughter is not eligible for Dependents' Educational Assistance benefits under Chapter 35 because she turned 26 before the effective date of her father's permanent and total service-connected disability.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure in Thailand. The Veteran's claims for hypertension, anxiety disorder, depression, lung disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded for further development.