Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the cause of death and whether the Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumptively associated with his exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for hypertensive heart disease is denied, and the effective date of his current 60 percent disability rating remains April 28, 1995.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's heart disease is related to his service-connected hypertension and grants the claim for secondary service connection.

The Board found that no new and material evidence had been received to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's heart disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for coronary artery disease is granted. The appeal for service connection for diabetic retinopathy has been withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is remanded due to the need for an examination and readjudication of his service-connected ischemic heart disease, which may be subject to presumptive service connection based on Gulf War exposure.

The Veteran's death was caused by cardiac arrest, with coronary artery disease being a significant contributing factor. As the Veteran served in Vietnam and is presumed to have been exposed to herbicide agents, service connection for his cause of death is granted. The claim for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is moot due to the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claim for coronary artery disease is granted as the condition is presumed to be related to his in-service exposure to herbicides, specifically Gulf War Agent Orange. The Veteran has a current diagnosis of coronary artery disease and it has been manifested since service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection of arteriosclerotic heart disease and left knee degenerative joint disease, as well as his request for a higher disability evaluation for left knee arthritis. The character of discharge from his second term of service was found to be a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for ischemic heart disease and denied the remaining issues of service connection. The Veteran is presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange/herbicides, which supports his claim for ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for schizophrenia, paranoid type has been dismissed due to withdrawal. The Veteran is granted compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. ¶ 1151 for diabetes mellitus, which was a result of VA treatment. The Board finds that the Veteran's renal disease and coronary artery disease are secondary to his diabetes mellitus.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to DIC benefits due to lack of evidence showing a causal link between his service-connected disabilities and his death.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial rating higher than 20 percent for diabetes mellitus prior to July 29, 2009, or a rating higher than 40 percent since then. Service connection was also denied for PVD, CAD, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities.

The Veteran's atherosclerotic heart disease, status-post myocardial infarction, is currently rated at 60 percent from January 5, 2010 onward. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current heart condition causally or etiologically related to active military service or to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected coronary artery disease, status post myocardial infarction and angioplasty and stent placement is granted. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU remains pending.

The Board denied increased ratings for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, as well as service connection for a cardiovascular disability to include high blood pressure and heart condition.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, circulatory problem (to include a heart disorder), and foot and leg disorders were denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicides/Agent Orange or any other form of presumptive service connection. The Veteran was not found to have served on land in the Republic of Vietnam.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease as due to exposure to herbicides, specifically Agent Orange. The Veteran's current diagnosis of coronary artery disease is considered presumptively related to his Vietnam-era service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a chronic heart disorder, including her heart murmur, is being remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the onset and causation of her current conditions.