Ischemic heart disease decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, type II have been denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship between his current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions began during or were caused by his military service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for ischemic heart disease and post-operative scars were denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating at any time during the appeal period.,The Veteran's post-operative scars received noncompensable ratings until April 21, 2015 when they were assigned a compensable rating of 20 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart condition is not related to his military service, including presumed herbicide exposure in Vietnam. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the current heart disability was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has ordered additional development and remanded the case for readjudication of all issues on appeal, including service connection for diabetes mellitus. The Veteran is also scheduled for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of prostatitis or hypertension that is related to his military service. The Veteran's heart disability claim was addressed separately and will be remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death (coronary artery disease) was not related to his military service, and concluded that none of his service-connected conditions or any other condition related to his military service contributed substantially or materially to his death. The claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable prior to July 2, 2009. The Board found that the evidence does not support his contention of inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disability, including carotid artery disease, did not have its onset during service and was not caused by his active service. Service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II is addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service and therefore grants service connection for type II diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, and lung cancer as presumptively related to such exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected ischemic heart disease is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from October 15, 2009. The Board has determined that the current rating of 30 percent adequately reflects the severity and impact of his condition.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, residuals of a cerebral vascular accident, cervical spine disability, and left shoulder disability were denied as there is no evidence of these conditions in service or due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran was not exposed to Agent Orange during his service.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical services from September 28 to September 29, 2011, were for a service-connected condition and the treatment was deemed necessary due to an emergency. The Veteran is entitled to reimbursement under these circumstances.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to obtain medical records, determine if the Veteran receives SSA disability benefits related to his heart conditions and anxiety disorder, and provide an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the service-connected anxiety disorder caused or aggravated any of the identified heart conditions.

The Board found that the appellant did not meet the 90-day active duty requirement for nonservice-connected pension benefits due to his short period of service and lack of a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted based on presumed exposure to herbicides during his active duty in Korea.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease with acute myocardial infarction has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD contributed substantially to his death from heart conditions, including congestive heart failure and valvular heart disease. The appellant seeks presumptive service connection for her husband's death due to Agent Orange exposure, but the evidence does not support this claim.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss, tinnitus, or a heart condition during service and denied the Veteran's claims for these conditions.