Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Board has granted a 60 percent disability rating for rheumatic heart disease with history of rheumatic fever, effective from July 12, 2011. The Veteran's symptoms included dizziness and fatigue during exertion, warranting the higher rating.

The Board has noted that VA Form 21-4142 is needed from the Veteran to provide authorization for records from his cardiac provider (Dr. Yatish Merchant) since April 2011, and that these records are necessary for a full and fair adjudication of the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VA compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 because the anesthesia was administered at a non-VA facility and not by a VA employee, thus failing to meet the legal requirements of the statute.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease associated with hypertension, rated at 100 percent disabling from December 8, 2007, does not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU based on other service-connected disabilities. However, his peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities may still render him unemployable under an extraschedular rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's valvular heart disease and heart murmur clearly existed prior to his active duty service, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Travel Board Hearing. The claims of service connection for heart disability, irritable bowel syndrome, and left spontaneous pneumothorax are pending.

The Veteran's heart disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The Board denied the claim for service connection as there is no evidence of a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is rated at 30 percent effective June 4, 2010.,Effective June 4, 2010, the Veteran has service connection for an anterior trunk scar and scars resulting from his coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).,The effective date for both service connection determinations is also set at June 4, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disorder, including tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome and coronary artery disease with associated hypotension, is proximately due to his service-connected hypertension. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating from March 6, 2008 to September 22, 2010.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosed heart disability, and the VA examiner concluded that there was no cardiac condition dating back to service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a video conference hearing at the Louisville, Kentucky Regional Office.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease was denied as there is no legal basis to assign an earlier effective date given the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.816(c).

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction, is rated at 10 percent and requires continuous medication. However, the workload of greater than 7 METs does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of his contentions regarding hepatitis C.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and consideration of new evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), hypertension, diabetic retinopathy, and trigger finger repair of the right thumb are granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during his Vietnam-era service.

The Veteran's death was caused by respiratory failure due to COPD and CHF, with his service-connected DM II and CAD contributing substantially to his condition. However, the Veteran did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 as he had not been continuously rated totally disabled for at least ten years prior to death.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from the 1980s and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed coronary artery disease. The new and material evidence issue is also on hold pending issuance of an SOC.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from March 24, 2010 to March 29, 2010 at Baxter Regional Medical Center in Mountain Home, Arkansas are denied as he is not service-connected for any disability and Medicare Part A coverage precludes VA reimbursement.