Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a travel board hearing and considering additional evidence. The Veteran's claims of service connection for convulsive disorder and coronary artery disease are pending.

The Board has found that the Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease are presumptively related to his in-service herbicide exposure, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding his claimed conditions, including renal cell carcinoma, liver disorder, pancreatic disorder, heart disease, and hypertension.

The Veteran's heart disability, including his heart transplant and AICD, is currently rated at 60 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.,Veteran has three surgical scars from his heart transplant, but they are not considered disabling enough to warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of diabetes mellitus and TDIU was denied as his service-connected conditions do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board has dismissed the claim of entitlement to TDIU and denied claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, radiculopathy of the left lower extremity, and coronary artery disease. The partial grant includes a compensable disability rating for a burn scar of the right thigh and initial increased ratings for radiculopathy of the left lower extremity and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for cardiomyopathy, diabetes mellitus, and asthma were denied as there was no evidence of their onset in service or within one year thereafter. The Board found that the Veteran did not serve in Vietnam and thus could not establish a presumption of exposure to herbicides.

The Veteran's valvular heart disease with mitral and aortic insufficiency is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that this rating does not meet the criteria for an increased evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any service-connected disabilities and therefore cannot meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance or housebound status. The claim for service connection for various conditions is also denied.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction are all service-connected due to presumed exposure to herbicides during his military service in Vietnam.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected mood disorder did not cause his death, as there was no evidence of consistent noncompliance with treatment and other factors such as dementia were noted to be contributing causes.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have exposure to herbicides during service, and thus could not establish presumptive service connection for diabetes mellitus or heart disease. The claims were denied as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for his ischemic heart disease prior to September 20, 2013 has been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has received a request to withdraw the appeal regarding the reopening of service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease status post stent placement was denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim filed before March 25, 2010.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his hypertension and hypertensive cardiovascular heart disease. A TDIU claim is also on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially and materially to his death from heart disease, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the appellant.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, heart condition (bifasicular block), and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia were not incurred or aggravated during his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). However, the Veteran's hypertension was found to be related to service due to its onset in National Guard service. The heart condition and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia were determined to have a direct relationship with his service.