Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records from the Johnson and Pittsburg VA Medical Centers. The issues of service connection for various conditions are under review.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was granted with an effective date of April 24, 1991. The appeal regarding the effective date for service connection of arteriosclerotic heart disease associated with herbicide exposure is remanded.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for a heart disability and granted it, finding that new and material evidence was received. The Veteran's heart disabilities are presumed to be due to exposure to ionizing radiation during his service in Japan.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease, finding that both conditions are related to the Veteran's active duty service. The claimant is also awarded a 40% rating for his adenocarcinoma residuals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his service or any service-connected disabilities, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's hypertension, service-connected disabilities (diabetes mellitus and coronary artery disease), and whether it was caused or aggravated by these conditions.

The Veteran is granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus due to Agent Orange exposure. Service connection for hypertension and heart condition as secondary to type II diabetes mellitus are also granted.

The Board has determined that the earliest effective date for the grant of service connection for hypertension is July 10, 1995. The Veteran's claim was pending and not adjudicated until an April 2010 rating decision granted service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and physical conditions, render him unemployable in light of his educational and occupational history. The Board finds the evidence at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to all service-connected disorders.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected schizophrenia with PTSD contributed to his death, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. As a result, the DIC claim is moot.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease, finding no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is dismissed as moot since the appeal for a TDIU after July 10, 2008, is not supported by legal merit. The Veteran was granted TDIU from June 9, 2008 to July 9, 2008.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, prostate cancer, PVD, CAD, and hypertension. The reasons were that there was no evidence of in-country service or documented exposure to herbicides during service.

The Veteran is entitled to an effective date of May 3, 2010 for the award of TDIU due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and left ear hearing loss) prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him. The Board finds that a Total Disability Rating based on Individual Unemployability is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA clinical records and scheduling a VA medical examination to diagnose all disorders of the heart and determine their likely etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, finding that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and no current disability related to service. The Veteran did not serve in Vietnam or have any confirmed exposure to Agent Orange.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses for an acute exacerbation of COPD were covered by VA as the treatment was deemed necessary due to a continued medical emergency and not feasible to transfer to a VA facility.

The Board found that there is no credible evidence of rheumatic fever in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for both rheumatic fever and a heart disorder as secondary to rheumatic fever.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease/ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure was denied as there is no evidence that he filed a formal or informal claim prior to November 30, 2009. The claim was pending when ischemic heart disease was added to the list of presumptive disabilities under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(e) for herbicide exposure.