Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for coronary artery disease was denied as there is no evidence of the required severity prior to March 14, 2011.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim for a retroactive benefits payment of $145 based on the award of separate disability ratings for hypertension and coronary artery disease. The issue of an extension of DEA benefits is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as well as for acute myelocytic leukemia and a chronic heart condition due to exposure to herbicides. The issues regarding entitlement to a compensable disability rating for actinic keratosis have been remanded.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is likely due to his service-connected PTSD, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hypertension is being remanded for additional examination and opinion to determine if it is secondary to his service-connected PTSD or CAD.

The Veteran's claim for nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied as he did not have qualifying military service during a period of war. The Board also found that the Veteran should be afforded VA examinations and opinions to determine whether his current respiratory disability, hearing loss, and other disabilities are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease with erectile dysfunction was denied as VA is precluded, as a matter of law, from granting an effective date prior to January 25, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence showing that his claim arose prior to August 24, 2010.

The Veteran's scars status post CABG have been rated at 10 percent since May 5, 2011. The VA examiner found that the scars do not result in frequent loss of covering of skin over the scar or limitation of motion or function.

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

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to have been incurred during service due to herbicide exposure, specifically Agent Orange. The Board granted the claim based on this presumption.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted entitlement to TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for heart condition, PTSD, GERD, and hypertension have been denied. The claim for increased disability rating in excess of 30 percent for depression remains pending.

The Veteran's hypertension has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Veteran's other service-connected conditions have not been linked to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's skin condition, valvular heart disease, hypertension, and arteriosclerotic heart disease are not related to his active duty service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, was not caused or contributed to by any service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current heart disability, including rheumatic heart disease, deformity of aortic valve, and aortic insufficiency, is related to his military service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA treatment records and an addendum medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's current heart disabilities and hypertension are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening service connection for left ear hearing loss, right knee disability, and right arm/hand disability. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for below-the-knee left leg amputation was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for ischemic heart disease and service connection for colon cancer due to herbicide exposure have been addressed. The claim of new and material evidence for diabetes mellitus has also been reopened, but a final decision is pending.