Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed acquired psychiatric disorder, hypertension, heart disability, damaged teeth, bilateral shoulder disability, and low back disability are not service-connected as secondary to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus II, and thus granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease and therefore, service connection for a heart disorder is denied.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that no earlier effective date is warranted as the earliest possible effective date allowed by law is August 31, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was granted, but the effective date is set at October 16, 2006. The Veteran did not file an earlier claim for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cardiovascular disorder is not related to service or any incident therein, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection for this condition. The initial disability ratings for coronary artery disease and paroxysmal atrial tachycardia remain unchanged.

The Board has ordered additional development due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as service personnel records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicides during service and finds it as likely as not that he developed diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease due to this exposure. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to herbicides during service, and therefore his claims for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension are granted as they are presumed related to such exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (coronary artery disease and PTSD) rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially-gainful occupation from June 9, 2004. The Board granted an earlier effective date of June 9, 2004 for the TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for coronary artery disease has been denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a disability rating higher than 10 percent prior to December 21, 2010 and during the timeframe April 1, 2011 through December 21, 2014, and higher than 60 percent beginning December 22, 2014.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The claim of an increased evaluation for PTSD with polysubstance dependence remains pending.

The Board granted an initial 10 percent rating for scars associated with coronary artery disease, reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and COPD, but denied service connection for respiratory disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including scheduling a video conference hearing and determining whether the Veteran wants a new representative.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 8, 2014 was denied.,An increased disability rating of 30 percent for coronary artery disease (CAD) was granted effective from December 8, 2014.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, and bilateral hearing loss due to exposure to herbicides were denied as there is no credible evidence of such exposure. The Board also found that the disabilities did not manifest during or within one year after service.

The Veteran's death was caused by a motor vehicle accident, not his service-connected coronary artery disease. The Board finds no evidence to support the claim that the heart condition contributed to the cause of death.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for fibromyalgia of the bilateral legs. The claims for ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, acid reflux disorder, diabetes mellitus, headaches, and sleep apnea have also been denied as there is no current diagnosis or link to service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial increased disability rating for CAD prior to May 26, 2009 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under Diagnostic Code 7005.