Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease was granted in a February 2012 rating decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions and any residuals from cellulitis. Service connection will be considered based on the merits of the claims.

The Veteran's hypertension and coronary artery disease were not incurred during active military service, and the Board found no evidence of a direct connection to service.

The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year following separation, and the examiner's opinion was that hypertension did not exist prior to service. The Veteran's valvular heart disease is considered direct service connection as there is no indication it was incurred during service.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction has been rated at 30 percent since the date of claim. The disability is manifested by evidence of cardiac dilation on electrocardiogram and a workload of greater than 5 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed to his fatal coronary artery disease, and thus grants service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The Board also finds that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD caused or contributed to his coronary artery disease, and thus grants service connection for coronary artery disease as due to service-connected PTSD, for accrued benefits purposes.

The VA determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of coronary artery disease or a prior myocardial infarction, and thus denied service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected conditions and denied both service connection for cause of death due to service-connected disabilities and under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has granted service connection for heart disability and hypertension, finding that these conditions are secondary to the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus. The claims of service connection for venous stasis of the bilateral lower extremities, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and a heart disability have been denied.

The Board finds that further development is required to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including VA examinations and additional medical records. The case is being remanded to comply with these requirements.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with traumatic encephalopathy, atherosclerotic heart disease, and dementia are considered contributory causes of his death from cardiopulmonary arrest.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including examinations and the provision of additional medical records. The issues on appeal are related to service connection for heart disease with clogged arteries, a disability rating for lumbosacral degenerative disc disease, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the cause of the Veteran's death was related to his active service, specifically a remote head injury with posttraumatic seizure disorder due to blunt force head trauma. The Board finds that this condition is directly related to his military service and grants service connection for the cause of his death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to determine if service-connected rheumatic heart disease contributed substantially or materially to cause death from the viewpoint of whether there were resulting debilitating effects and general impairment of health.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following all types of substantially gainful occupation, but his nonservice-connected back disability limits his ability to work.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records and potential service connection for ischemic heart disease. The issues of increased PTSD rating, TDIU, and service connection for ischemic heart disease are pending.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether hypertension contributed to the Veteran's death, and thus service connection for the cause of death will be granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and a heart disorder other than rheumatic heart disease, finding that these conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the appellant's appeal for VA benefits based on his character of discharge, finding that there were no compelling circumstances to warrant his prolonged unauthorized absence from active duty.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease with bypass graft is presumed to be related to his herbicide exposure, and service connection for this condition has been granted.