Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has decided that the case needs to be remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's heart condition. The appeal is not about service connection via a presumption or reopening of a previously denied claim.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred from February 18 to February 19, 2010 is granted due to the emergent nature of his treatment and the availability of VA facilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's valvular heart disease is related to his service-connected rheumatic fever, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by VA care, but his service-connected hypertension contributed to his death. The cause of death was coronary artery disease, with significant contributing conditions being hypertensive vascular disease and cancer.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertensive arteriosclerotic heart disease or ischemic heart disease is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and review of the claims file.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims can be fully adjudicated.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease with hypertension has been granted service connection and assigned a 30 percent disability rating, effective August 1, 2006. A separate 20 percent rating for hypertension is also granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, finding that there was no evidence to support his contention that his current heart disease began during or was caused by his military service.,The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than October 5, 2006 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied. The Board found that prior to this date, there was no indication that he had filed a formal or informal claim for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's coronary artery disease, PTSD, and respiratory disability are related to his service. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange during his service in Vietnam.

The Board has determined that there is no direct evidence linking the Veteran's current heart disability to his service, and finds that it was not aggravated by his service-connected psychiatric disorder. The claim for secondary service connection is also denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart disability has been withdrawn, and the Board finds that the matter is dismissed as moot due to a grant of service connection in a separate rating decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim of service connection for neck disability. The claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, and coronary artery disease were denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA vocational rehabilitation counseling records and arranging a new VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's chronic headaches, disability of the pancreas as secondary to substance abuse, disability of the bowel as secondary to substance abuse, and disability of the liver as secondary to substance abuse. Service connection for heart disease (including congestive heart failure) remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability of shin splints and denied her claim for service connection. The heart disorder issue was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded for additional development and due process.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is of service origin and grants service connection for this condition. The decision on whether the Veteran's coronary artery disease, including as secondary to diabetes mellitus, was incurred in service remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran did not sustain a heart injury or disease in service and did not experience chronic heart disorder symptoms during service. The weight of evidence demonstrated that the Veteran's heart disorder symptoms have not been continuous since service separation, leading to a denial of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, affording a VA examination, and determining whether the Veteran meets criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicides in Thailand and whether he had a layover in Vietnam enroute from San Francisco.