Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension, which began during service or within a year of separation, contributed substantially to his death from sudden cardiac death due to arteriosclerotic heart disease. Therefore, service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including sleep apnea, obesity, skin disability, low back and neck disabilities, Meniere's disease, heart disability, emphysema, PTSD, bronchitis, genitourinary disability, acid peptic disease, eye infections, and hypertension.

The Veteran's appeal is currently in remand status due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and updating her VA treatment records. The issues of service connection for a heart disorder to include Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome and PTSD are pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service treatment records and inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's heart conditions are being reviewed again for possible service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, including as due to herbicide exposure, is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for examinations to assess his service-connected disabilities and determine their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for PTSD was denied as the evidence does not meet the diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD or any other acquired psychiatric disability.,The effective date claim for coronary artery disease is without legal merit due to lack of supporting documentation prior to August 31, 2010.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disability was not incurred or aggravated during service and is less likely than not related to service. The claim for service connection for a heart disability is denied.

The Board is remanding the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding service connection for cardiovascular disability. The request to reopen a claim for major depression will also be remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the cardiovascular disability issue.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to an inadequate VA examination, and the Veteran's cardiovascular disability is related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including stomach disability, skin disability, leg pain, cognitive disability (claimed as memory loss), dental disability, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), coronary artery disease, fatigue, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral vascular disease, and a disability characterized by shakiness are all denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and a cervical spine disability, finding that the evidence did not support presumptive service connection due to Agent Orange exposure. The cervical spine disability claim was also denied as there is no indication of arthritis during or within the presumptive period.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment prior to February 8, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his coronary artery disease and consideration of whether he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to November 8, 2007, for service connection of ischemic heart disease. The decision states that no earlier claims were filed and that medical records associated with the diabetes mellitus claim provided the necessary evidence for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, heart disorder, and blood disorder as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions at any point during the pendency of the claim.,For the heart disorder, the VA examiner found that it was less likely than not proximately due to or the result of the Veteran's service-connected liver abscess and its associated septicemia.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and prostate cancer, both presumed to be due to herbicide exposure during his service in or near the Korean DMZ.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for kidney disorder, gum disease (claimed as a hernia), residuals of gall bladder removal, GERD, and coronary artery disease have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of chronic conditions or exposure to herbicides during the Veteran's service in Korea.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension did not have its onset during active service and was neither caused nor aggravated by her service-connected supraventricular tachycardia. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.