Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's shell fragment wound residuals of the right and left thighs have resulted in moderate muscle damage/impairment, warranting a 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for coronary artery disease and hypertension were granted, with the CAD rating being reduced by the aggravation baseline. The TDIU claim was also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, finding that the Veteran's current disability is likely to have been incurred in service. Service connection was also granted for a heart disability, but not for a dental disorder.

The Veteran's death was caused by esophageal varices due to liver disease, but the Board is remanding for an opinion on whether diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease contributed to or caused his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that his current mental health issues were not caused by or aggravated by his service-connected conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and a heart condition, finding that these conditions are not related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected asbestosis.,The Board also found that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's death was attributed to cardiopulmonary arrest due to old age. The service-connected disabilities (right eye defective vision and residuals of shrapnel wounds) did not cause or contribute to his death. Hypertension and heart conditions were first diagnosed decades after service discharge and are not attributable to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete verification of his exposure to Agent Orange in Korea. The Board will attempt to verify the allegations and then adjudicate the claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease is denied as it does not meet the criteria under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran served in Vietnam and is therefore presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents, including Agent Orange. The Veteran's ischemic heart disease and diabetes mellitus type II are service-connected due to this exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, heart condition (coronary atherosclerosis status post angioplasty), colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus, type II. The evidence received since the November 2001 denial is considered new and material.,VA will obtain treatment records from the VA dated after November 2010 and associate them with the claims file.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and respiratory disorders on a presumptive basis due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran did not have confirmed service in Vietnam or any other area where he may have been exposed to herbicides.

The Board found no evidence of in-country service or exposure to herbicides, and thus could not grant service connection for any conditions on that basis. The Veteran's current diagnoses were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease on a secondary basis to PTSD, finding that the Veteran's coronary artery disease is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a heart disorder, and therefore the claim is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and a chronic heart disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including atherosclerotic heart disease with old myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus, precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation as of May 15, 2002. He met the threshold schedular requirements for an award of TDIU benefits under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a) as of that date.

The Board is remanding the case for a new hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Veteran's claim of service connection for peripheral artery disease of the bilateral lower extremities will be considered.