Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's heart disability was aggravated by active service, and therefore grants service connection for a heart disability.

The veteran is in need of regular aid and attendance due to service-connected intervertebral disc disease with severe lumbar spondylosis, chronic low back pain, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and coronary artery disease. The Board finds the evidence in equipoise as to whether this need for aid and attendance is related to a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the claim of additional DIC based on the appellant's need for regular aid and attendance due to her disabilities not rendering her helpless as required by VA regulations.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for secondary service connection for cardiovascular problems, including hypertension, was not well grounded due to a lack of medical evidence linking his cardiovascular issues to his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claim of service connection for the cause of her husband's death is well-grounded and grants this claim. The issue of entitlement to DIC benefits under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 remains pending.

The case is being remanded for an additional VA examination to determine the current severity of the service-connected coronary artery disease and whether it meets the criteria for a 100 percent rating under the revised rating criteria. The RO should also obtain any pertinent treatment records from non-VA providers.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding whether the veteran's psychiatric and cardiovascular disabilities are related to VA treatment.

The Board has granted an increased rating of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected hypertension with coronary artery disease, effective from September 11, 1997.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the veteran's death under the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, which resolves the issues of entitlement to benefits under 38 C.F.R. § 3.312 and 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has determined that the cause of the veteran's death, a thalamic cerebral vascular accident, was not service-connected. The medical evidence does not support the claim that any service-connected condition contributed to his death.

The veteran's cause of death was due to arteriosclerotic heart disease and alcoholic liver cirrhosis. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of death as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The appellant's request for an increased evaluation for anxiety-state psychoneurosis, which had been pending at the time of her husband's death, was granted with a 10% rating.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease, generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder as secondary to the coronary artery disease, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence. The veteran's heart attack during active duty training was not considered service-connected.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to nicotine dependence and tobacco use, finding no evidence linking these conditions to service or any service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, finding that he did not meet the legal requirements as a 'veteran' with qualifying service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well grounded, as there is no medical evidence linking his diagnosed conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well-grounded as there is no medical evidence linking any of his current disabilities to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an undisplaced fracture of the C-6 spinous process, and a heart disorder are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of a current disability or a relationship between any in-service injury or disease and the claimed conditions.

The Board has denied the claim of service connection for a heart disorder as not well grounded, due to insufficient evidence linking the current condition to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's rheumatic heart disease warrants a 100 percent evaluation, effective prior to January 12, 1998.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a high-voltage electrical shock, including heart disease and cognitive disorder. The evidence did not establish a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service.