Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his withdrawal of the appeals for carpal tunnel syndrome of both upper extremities and renal disorder. The remaining claims have already been fully granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus contributed to his development of pancreatic cancer, which resulted in his death. As a result, the claim for cause of death is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that there was no evidence of chronic disability involving hearing loss or other conditions in service or for years following service discharge. The hiatal hernia preexisted service and was aggravated by an inservice injury.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not related to his military service.,There is no evidence of any in-service stressor that would support a diagnosis of PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to reassess his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran meets the threshold criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities, with multiple conditions bringing his combined rating to 90 percent. The evidence shows that he is unable to work based solely on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's unauthorized medical expenses incurred from February 23 to February 27, 2009 are granted as he was not medically stable enough to be transferred to a VA facility. Expenses from February 28 to March 5, 2009 are denied as the Veteran was stable and could have been transferred.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and to obtain medical records. The issues are whether he should receive higher disability ratings for diabetes mellitus type II and coronary artery disease.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's heart disability to his military service or secondary to his service-connected adenocarcinoma of the right kidney. The claim was denied.

The Veteran's death prevented him from applying for Service Disabled Veterans Insurance (RH) benefits due to his service-connected ischemic heart disease. The claim is being remanded for further development, including a review of the Veteran's competence and obtaining VA treatment records.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in service, and he has a heart disability other than coronary artery disease. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including verification of asbestos exposure during service and evaluation of current respiratory conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's coronary artery bypass surgery did not require convalescence beyond November 1, 2007 and thus a temporary total rating is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims of service connection for a back disability, left rotator cuff tear, and hypertension. The decision remains undecided on whether new and material evidence was received to reopen his claim of service connection for a left knee disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development of his claim for service connection for hypertension, secondary to PTSD, coronary artery disease, and/or peripheral vascular disease. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not restrict him to his dwelling or immediate premises, and the Board finds that he is not housebound due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorder, other than Wolff Parkinson White Syndrome, is not related to his military service and cannot be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in service. The Board also determined that the heart disorder is not due to, the result of, or aggravated by his service-connected anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's heart disease and hypertension were not found to warrant higher ratings prior to March 25, 2009 or since.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board has granted a 70 percent rating. The issues of increased evaluations for his other service-connected conditions are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of increased ratings for heart disease and TDIU was denied as no earlier informal claim was received, and it was not factually ascertainable that he first met the criteria for a higher rating during the year prior to filing his claim.