Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected coronary arteriosclerotic heart disease is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding no current diagnosis and insufficient evidence to establish a link between his military service and this condition. The claims for peripheral neuropathy and hypertension remain pending as new and material evidence has been received.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA medical examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA heart examination. The issues of entitlement to an increased initial rating for ischemic heart disease and entitlement to an earlier effective date are also being addressed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and updated treatment records. The current severity of his service-connected coronary artery disease will be evaluated.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and DIC benefits were denied as the earliest possible effective dates are January 31, 2002, for coronary artery disease, and October 1, 2003, for cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's prostate cancer and coronary artery disease were not incurred or aggravated by his service, nor did they manifest within one year of separation. The appeal is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for a cardiovascular disability, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his claimed condition and his military service. The Board also noted that the presumption of herbicide exposure did not apply due to lack of in-country service.

The Board found no evidence of a heart disorder during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that her hypertension and PCOS did not warrant higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria. The Board also found no evidence of a back disorder or heart disorder incurred in service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Citrus Memorial Hospital on January 30, 2010 and January 31, 2010 are approved as he presented with symptoms of chest pain and shortness of breath that were severe enough to be considered an emergency requiring immediate attention. The nearest VA facilities were not feasibly available, and the Veteran was not in receipt of service-connected compensation benefits for any disability.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that the earliest possible effective date is May 27, 2010, which is the date of claim. The disability arose in 2002.

The Veteran's initial increased evaluation for ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease has not resulted in chronic congestive heart failure, more than one episode of acute congestive heart failure, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction below 30%. The most recent VA examination found his cardiac workload to be between 9-10 METs and his left ventricular ejection fraction to be 70%, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including arthritis of multiple joints and coronary artery disease, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to September 5, 2013.

The Veteran died in January 2002 and had coronary artery disease at the time of his death. The appellant is seeking service connection for ischemic heart disease, but the claim was denied as there was no prior claim pending at the time of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain all pertinent treatment records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination for his claimed disabilities. The claims are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sick sinus syndrome with pacemaker, hypertensive heart disease, and asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's cataract of the left eye is found to have been incurred during service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The other issues on appeal are not addressed as they were not included in his notice of disagreement or statement of case.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing. The issues of service connection are related to secondary herbicide exposure.