Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran died from a service-connected condition, and the appellant is eligible for dependents' educational assistance benefits. The effective date of eligibility has been determined.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claims of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and a heart condition. The Veteran should be provided proper notice of how to establish a claim of entitlement to service connection as secondary to an already service connected disability, and any VA treatment records concerning these conditions since February 2007 should be sought.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus, which were aggravated by his exposure to Agent Orange during service. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially and materially to his death from atherosclerotic heart disease, with diabetes and Parkinson's disease contributing as well.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 80 percent, which meets the schedular requirements for consideration of a TDIU. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities alone are sufficiently severe to produce unemployability.

The Board found no diagnosed heart disease and thus denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Veteran's epilepsy was not found to be a direct cause of his death, and the causes of death (pneumonia, coronary artery disease, and diabetes) were not determined to be service-connected.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disability did not have onset during active service or within one year of separation for active service, and is not otherwise etiologically related to his active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for a heart disability was denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for coronary artery disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma are granted as they are presumed to be due to exposure to Agent Orange during his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to the failure to discuss VA outpatient treatment records in the Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including scheduling a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's heart condition, presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during service, is not currently shown. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence does not support a current diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.

The Board found that there is no evidence of a heart injury or disease in service, and the Veteran's symptoms have not been continuous since service separation. Therefore, the claims for service connection for a heart disorder and residuals of a stroke are denied.

The Veteran's claim for proteinuria was denied, while his PTSD claim resulted in a higher rating to 50%. The decision is mixed as it addresses both issues.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is service connected as secondary to herbicide exposure, given his presence in Vietnam. The Board finds the Veteran's statements credible and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a heart condition. The appellant's current diagnosis of osteoarthritis does not relate to any arthritis or symptoms she had in service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and adjudication of his TDIU claim, including consideration of the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and hypertension, finding no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after the Veteran's discharge from active duty.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected hypothyroidism did not cause her claimed hypertension, and thus could not support a secondary service connection claim for heart disability. The claim was denied.

The VA reduced the Veteran's disability rating from 100% to 30%, effective August 1, 2008, based on improved cardiac function.