Ischemic heart disease Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran's heart disability did not have its onset during service or is not related to a service-connected condition, and thus denied his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's current heart and breathing problems are not due to his service-connected rheumatic heart disease, thus denying a higher disability rating.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and denied Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits due to lack of a well-grounded claim.

The Board has granted service connection for an adjustment reaction with depression as secondary to the veteran's service-connected right paratracheal mass, lung base, with mild restrictive respiratory impairment.

The Board denied service connection for a left cerebral infarct secondary to service-connected rheumatic heart disease, finding that the evidence did not support such a relationship.

The Board found that the veteran did not have asthma, coronary artery disease and hypertension, diabetes mellitus, carpal tunnel syndrome, or a chronic gastrointestinal condition (to include ulcers and gastritis) incurred during service. The claims were denied as they do not meet the criteria for well-groundedness.

The veteran's hypertension disability is rated at 100 percent, his low back disability is rated as 100 percent, and his rectus muscle hernia disability is also rated at 100 percent.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred on August 26, 1994 and September 7, 1994 at Camden- Memorial Hospital is denied because the treatment was not for a service-connected disability.

The Board found that the veteran's heart disorder, sick sinus syndrome, pre-existed his entry onto active duty and did not increase in disability during service. The appeal was granted.

The Board denied service connection for coronary artery disease and found that the veteran's claims for reopening his claims of service connection for headaches and residuals of a chest injury were not well-grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are well-grounded and have granted them, finding that his chronic infections and heart disorder are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that cardiovascular disease which caused the veteran's death, including coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure, began during active military service and is therefore service-connected.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development to determine the extent of his service-connected coronary artery disease, left facial weakness, and left upper/lower extremity disabilities.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for arteriosclerotic heart disease, finding the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The claim for increased hearing loss was also denied.

The veteran's claim for additional educational training under Chapter 31 was denied as he already had the necessary education, experience, and skills to be employed in suitable occupations.

The veteran's overpayment of disability pension benefits was waived due to his inadvertent failure to report receipt of Social Security Administration (SSA) benefits, which were effective from March 1997. The Board found that the veteran's misrepresentation did not rise to the level of fraud or bad faith.

The Board denied service connection for cardiovascular disorder, including coronary artery disease, on a secondary basis due to tobacco use. The decision found no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current condition to his tobacco use in service.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection due to new and material evidence submitted since the last denial. The Board finds that the veteran's valvular heart disease is related to his service.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations of his service-connected conditions were granted, with the exception of the right elbow disability. The coronary artery disease was increased to 30 percent, hemorrhoids to 10 percent, low back disability to 40 percent, and right hand disability to 10 percent.