Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, cancer, and an enlarged prostate were denied. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining recent medical records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has found that further RO action is necessary to obtain a temporary claims file, which may contain relevant information for the Veteran's claims. The case will be remanded for this purpose and subsequent readjudication.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral knee disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, peripheral neuritis, gout (hyperuricemia), and heart disability (biventricular hypertrophy), were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and a TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and a clarifying opinion from a VA examiner regarding the severity of his coronary artery disease. A new VA heart examination may also be warranted due to his January 2013 stent placement.

The Board finds that the Veteran's heart condition, diagnosed as non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and cardiomyopathy, is not service-connected due to lack of direct causation or secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The issues of an increased rating for PTSD and TDIU are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board denied service connection for type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities as not related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and further development of the evidence.

The Board and RO have denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart condition, folliculitis, bronchial asthma, and lumbar muscle spasms due to lack of medical evidence establishing a nexus to his period of service.

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

The Veteran's cause of death, listed as arteriosclerotic heart disease on his death certificate, is found to be service-connected based on the presumption for diseases specific to former POWs.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability involving dizziness and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's CAD and hypertension are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after his retirement from active duty. The Veteran was not exposed to herbicides in Vietnam, nor does he have a history of exposure to other known risk factors for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was granted, and he is currently receiving a 10% evaluation for left ear hearing loss. The heart disability to include coronary artery disease, seizure disorder, and acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as posttraumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder) are not service connected.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability and an initial rating in excess of 40 percent for prostate cancer have been denied as there is no diagnosed heart disability at any point during the appeal period. The Veteran has not provided evidence that he currently has ischemic heart disease, which would be required to establish service connection based on presumed herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's cause of death, atherosclerotic heart disease, is service-connected as being related to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service-connected coronary artery disease with history of stent placement is denied as there is no evidence of any earlier formal or informal claim prior to April 10, 2006.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is attributable, at least in part, to his service-connected bladder cancer.