Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information provided by VA in its request for verification of herbicide exposure. The Veteran's service records and a search with JSRRC are required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and that there was no current diagnosis of PTSD or chloracne.

The Board found that the Veteran's lay testimony, corroborated by medical opinion evidence, supported a finding of service connection for cardiovascular disease, diagnosed as coronary artery disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and coronary artery disease, finding that there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology. The diagnoses were not established during active duty.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal with respect to the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, anxiety disorder, depression, a heart condition, and hypertension.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease and hypertension are granted service connection based on presumed exposure to herbicides in Vietnam.

The Veteran's diabetes was granted service connection effective October 20, 2006, with a rating of 40 percent.,Coronary artery disease was granted service connection effective May 10, 2006, with a rating of 100 percent.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is now a listed disease associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents in Vietnam, and may be presumed to be related to such exposure in service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and providing a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hypertension, and coronary artery disease have been granted.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is rated at 40 percent, the maximum available rating.,The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine is rated at 30 percent based on limitation of motion.

The Veteran's initial and subsequent ratings for coronary artery disease with hypertension have been granted, but the appeal is pending. For peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities, the Veteran has been granted increased ratings from August 17, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates were denied. The Board found that the diabetes mellitus did not warrant an evaluation in excess of 20 percent, as it only required a restricted diet and insulin.

The Board has granted the initial evaluation of PTSD with depression and denied service connection for a heart disability as secondary to PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current heart disorder, including an irregular heartbeat. The claim of service connection for a heart disorder is therefore denied.

The Veteran's widow was granted accrued benefits for a TDIU rating and an increased evaluation of 60 percent for the service-connected coronary artery disease with myocardial infarction, both based on evidence in the file at the time of his death.

The Veteran seeks service connection for cardiovascular disease, including residuals of a myocardial infarction and coronary artery disease. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to adjudicate this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension pre-existed his military service and was not aggravated by it. The Veteran's coronary artery disease is presumed to have been incurred in service, as there is no evidence of its onset within one year post-service discharge.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease (CAD) is granted as the condition can be presumed to have been incurred due to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.