Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Board dismissed the appeals due to the death of the appellant.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused or substantially contributed to by a service-connected disability. The evidence did not establish any connection between his death and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of her current psychiatric, heart, lung, right knee, and left knee disabilities. The claims will be re-evaluated after this process.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further development regarding his Vietnam service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of his diabetes mellitus and related heart, hypertension, and erectile dysfunction disabilities. The claims for secondary service connection will also be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was granted effective November 21, 2006. The effective date is based on the medical evidence showing a diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) after his service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability has been denied as he does not have a current hearing loss disability. The left ear hearing loss and heart disorder claims are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disorders prior to March 12, 2013 is denied as the Under Secretary for Benefits and the Director of Compensation Service have no authority to assign such an evaluation.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease (including CAD) was not shown to have arisen prior to March 24, 2002. The effective date for service connection is therefore denied.

The Veteran's employment with the United States Postal Service ended on November 18, 2011 due to his service-connected disabilities. The Board found that he was not precluded from substantially gainful employment prior to this date.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain clarification on whether the Veteran had coronary artery disease during service and its relation to Agent Orange exposure, as well as a medical opinion regarding the cause of death due to Paget's disease.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were withdrawn, and the Board found that there was no evidence of a heart disability, asthma, stroke and residuals of stroke, dental condition, hepatitis C, or bilateral arm nerve disability in service. The claims for diabetes and Dercum's disease were also denied due to lack of evidence of herbicide exposure.

The reduction of the 60 percent rating assigned for service-connected coronary artery disease from September 1, 2009 was found to be improper and is now restored.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence of the condition during his period of active service. The claim for service connection for CVA remains pending and will require further development, including a VA examination to determine its etiology.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for PTSD was denied. The issue of a higher initial rating for CAD is remanded.

The Veteran's heart disease, specifically atrial fibrillation, was not found to be related to his service or any exposure to Agent Orange. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran died from a heart attack and the evidence does not show that his death was due to herbicide exposure or contaminated drinking water at Camp Lejeune. Service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating greater than 10 percent for his CAD, status post coronary artery bypass grafting, was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart condition, status-post pacemaker/defibrillator implantation, was not incurred in service and is not otherwise related to service. The claim for hypertension is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's heart disorders, including ischemic heart disease, are presumed to be related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board has ordered a remand for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.