Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2015

The Veteran's coronary artery disease was rated at 10 percent prior to April 23, 2012 and at 30 percent thereafter. The Board found that the criteria for higher ratings were not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease and therefore service connection cannot be granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining missing VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a new VCAA notice letter and examinations.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The claim for service connection for a heart disorder, which was related to herbicide exposure and participation in Project SHAD, is moot as the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, DIC compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, and accrued benefits for hepatitis C due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to military service or VA treatment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a clarification of whether the service-connected right knee disability aggravated the Veteran's heart disorders.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD and anxiety disorder or coronary artery disease. The Veteran's current anxiety disorder is found to be related to his military service. However, the evidence does not support a finding of cold injury residuals as claimed.

The Veteran's hypertension and heart disorder are not found to be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus or service, nor did they manifest within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as a VA examination to address the etiology of his claimed disabilities. The issues on appeal include service connection claims for various conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and coronary artery disease were not related to his military service or any presumptive exposure to herbicides. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of ischemic heart disease was granted based on the herbicide presumption, with the effective date set at the later of when the claim was received or when the disability arose. The condition is presumed due to exposure in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for arteriosclerotic heart disease, diabetes mellitus, and spastic colon as secondary to his service-connected hypertension.,Service connection was not granted for a left knee disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a cardiologist's examination to determine if the Veteran has ischemic heart disease.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if any heart disorder, including CAD and hypertension, is related to the Veteran's military service or caused by his service-connected systolic murmur.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is presumed to be related to his herbicide exposure, and the Board finds that service connection for this condition is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease has been evaluated at a 30 percent rating since August 27, 2010. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 24, 2011, for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease with congestive heart failure is denied as he did not file his original claim within one year of discharge from service and no earlier effective date is warranted due to lack of legal eligibility.

The Veteran's bilateral lumbar radiculopathy is found to be related to his service-connected lumbar strain with degenerative disc disease L1-L2, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection and compensation for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim or entitlement to such benefits.