Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for essential hypertension and coronary artery disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability as defined by VA, and thus denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. For hypertension and coronary artery disease, the Board determined there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within one year after separation from service, and therefore denied service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected PTSD and obtaining treatment records from the Jackson VA Medical Center. The issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) has also been raised.

The Veteran's increased ratings for CAD associated with hypertension were denied as his disability did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected arteriosclerotic heart disease has not been manifested by chronic congestive heart failure, a workload of 3 METs or less resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of less than 30 percent. As such, the Veteran's disability rating remains at 60 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability manifested by bilateral foot swelling for which service connection may be granted. The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is currently rated as 30 percent disabling, and there is no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability benefits records and a VA examination addressing whether his service-connected asthma condition has aggravated his cardiomyopathy with congestive heart failure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current level of disability due to coronary artery disease and whether he is unable to obtain or maintain substantial employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the criteria for DIC under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 were not met.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, but denied the remaining claims. The Veteran's right ear hearing acuity was noted to be within normal limits throughout his military service and post-service evaluations. Service connection is granted for coronary artery disease (CAD) with a non-compensable evaluation.

The Board finds that the Veteran's death is likely due to ischemic heart disease, which was presumed to be caused by his exposure to Agent Orange during service. The acute myocardial infarction resulting in death is also considered likely related to his diabetes and service-connected ischemic heart disease.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected PTSD did not contribute substantially and materially to his death, as it was merely a significant condition contributing to death. The causes of death (acute myelogenous leukemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, coronary artery disease) were not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to have contributed substantially or materially to his death due, in part, from congestive heart failure caused by coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected condition, and the Board finds that his cause of death (atherosclerotic coronary artery disease) is not related to his service-connected left foot disability.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking any service-connected conditions to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed coronary artery disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange, and thus grants service connection for heart disease.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease is granted, and his peripheral neuropathy of the upper left, right, lower right, and lower left extremities are all rated at their maximum allowable levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current heart disorder and therefore, service connection for a heart disorder is denied.

The Board denied reopening the Veteran's claim of service connection for heart disability, finding no new and material evidence to support his claim. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension and heart disorder did not clearly and unmistakably pre-exist service, nor were they aggravated by service. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.