Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease is granted based on exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.,The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's ischemic heart disease, including his history of congestive heart failure, is related to herbicide exposure during service. The case will be remanded for an addendum examination and consideration of all submitted evidence.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for diabetes mellitus and a heart disorder, both potentially related to his military service. The Board has ordered additional development of the claims.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to August 31, 2010 for the grant of service connection for coronary artery disease is denied. The effective date cannot be earlier than the date ischemic heart disease, including coronary artery disease, was added to the list of diseases presumed to be related to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, claimed as due to exposure to herbicides (Agent Orange), is being remanded because the evidence does not conclusively establish that he was exposed to Agent Orange during his active duty in Korea. The VA will attempt to obtain information regarding the duties of the 7th Administration Company of the 7th Infantry Division and whether those duties included mail delivery to units at the DMZ from Camp Casey.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease, status post pacemaker implantation, was manifested by x-ray evidence of cardiac dilation but no congestive heart failure or significant functional impairment prior to December 10, 2010. The Board granted a 30 percent evaluation for the period prior to December 10, 2010.

The Board has granted a 60 percent disability rating for rheumatic heart disease with history of rheumatic fever, effective from July 12, 2011. The Veteran's symptoms included dizziness and fatigue during exertion, warranting the higher rating.

The Board has noted that VA Form 21-4142 is needed from the Veteran to provide authorization for records from his cardiac provider (Dr. Yatish Merchant) since April 2011, and that these records are necessary for a full and fair adjudication of the claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for VA compensation benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 because the anesthesia was administered at a non-VA facility and not by a VA employee, thus failing to meet the legal requirements of the statute.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease associated with hypertension, rated at 100 percent disabling from December 8, 2007, does not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU based on other service-connected disabilities. However, his peripheral vascular disease of the bilateral lower extremities may still render him unemployable under an extraschedular rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's valvular heart disease and heart murmur clearly existed prior to his active duty service, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Travel Board Hearing. The claims of service connection for heart disability, irritable bowel syndrome, and left spontaneous pneumothorax are pending.

The Veteran's heart disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The Board denied the claim for service connection as there is no evidence of a link between the Veteran's current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is rated at 30 percent effective June 4, 2010.,Effective June 4, 2010, the Veteran has service connection for an anterior trunk scar and scars resulting from his coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG).,The effective date for both service connection determinations is also set at June 4, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disorder, including tachycardia-bradycardia syndrome and coronary artery disease with associated hypotension, is proximately due to his service-connected hypertension. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating from March 6, 2008 to September 22, 2010.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosed heart disability, and the VA examiner concluded that there was no cardiac condition dating back to service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a video conference hearing at the Louisville, Kentucky Regional Office.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for coronary artery disease was denied as there is no legal basis to assign an earlier effective date given the provisions of 38 C.F.R. § 3.816(c).

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction, is rated at 10 percent and requires continuous medication. However, the workload of greater than 7 METs does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.