Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Board has requested additional medical records and a new examination to determine if the appellant needs aid and attendance or is housebound due to her disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to consider his claims of service connection for various conditions including diabetes mellitus, heart disability, hypertension, enlarged prostate, and respiratory disorder. The claims will be considered based on herbicide exposure, lead-based paint exposure, and asbestos exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for his service connection for coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction, finding that the earliest date of claim was March 31, 1998.

The Board found that the Veteran's cardiovascular disease, including residuals of a myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease, was not present in service or until many years thereafter and is not related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's cardiovascular disorder was not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service and denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's exposure to herbicides and service connection for a cardiovascular disability, claimed as ischemic heart disease/coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including verification of exposure and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and ischemic heart disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology, and concluded that current right ear hearing loss was not related to service noise exposure. For ischemic heart disease, there is no presumption applicable due to Vietnam-era service. The Veteran's PTSD claim resulted in a 70% rating.

The Board has granted secondary service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, hypertension, and sleep apnea as they are related to his service-connected PTSD. The claims of service connection for an enlarged prostate and gallstones have been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease has been rated at 30 percent since March 28, 2011. Prior to that date, the disability was rated at 10 percent. The current rating is appropriate as there is no evidence of congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30%.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed incurred in or aggravated by active military service due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development to verify the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam and to obtain his complete Official Military Personnel File (OMPF).

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an initial 50 percent rating prior to December 18, 2008 and a 70 percent rating from that date through August 16, 2010.,A compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current heart, cervical spine, low back, right knee, carotid artery stenosis, and peripheral vascular disease conditions are not related to his service or a service-connected disability. The claims for these conditions were therefore denied.

Service connection for otitis media, chronic anxiety (PTSD), ischemic heart disease, gastroparesis, skin lesions on the feet bilaterally, and diabetes mellitus has been granted.,Effective dates have been assigned for each condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD and ischemic heart disease, contributed to his death due to a motor vehicle accident. The cause of death is therefore determined to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for recurrent pleurisy, to include scar on lung as a qualifying chronic disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.317 has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his employability.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to September 5, 2007 for type II diabetes mellitus and prior to December 13, 2010 for coronary artery disease are denied as the evidence does not show that these conditions were service-connected earlier than those dates.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease with a coronary artery bypass graft is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.