BVA9505988 DOCKET NO. 93-11 018 ) DATE ) ) On appeal from the decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Florida THE ISSUE Entitlement to service connection for cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease. REPRESENTATION Appellant represented by: AMVETS WITNESSES AT HEARING ON APPEAL The veteran and his spouse ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD Robert B. Swanson, Associate Counsel INTRODUCTION The veteran had active service from July 1944 to December 1946. This matter comes before the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from February 1992 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in St. Petersburg, Florida. CONTENTIONS OF APPELLANT ON APPEAL The veteran contends that he incurred coronary artery disease as a result of service. DECISION OF THE BOARD The Board, in accordance with the provisions of 38 U.S.C.A. § 7104 (West 1991), has reviewed and considered all of the evidence and material of record in the veteran's claims file. Based on its review of the relevant evidence in this matter, and for the following reasons and bases, it is the decision of the Board that the evidence supports granting service connection for coronary artery disease. FINDINGS OF FACT 1. All relevant evidence necessary for an equitable disposition of the appellant's appeal has been obtained by the RO. 2. Hypertension manifested during service, and coronary artery disease developed secondary thereto subsequent to service. CONCLUSION OF LAW Coronary artery disease was incurred as a result of service. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1110 (West 1991); 38 C.F.R. § 3.303 (1994). REASONS AND BASES FOR FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION The veteran is seeking service connection for coronary artery disease. He has presented a well-grounded claim, which is a claim that is plausible, as required by 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a) (West 1991). The VA, in turn, has assisted the veteran in fully developing the facts relevant to his claim as required by 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a). When the veteran was examined prior to service in March 1944, he reported on a review of medical history that he had never had heart trouble or high or low blood pressure. On examination, the blood pressure readings were 142/90 and 140/88. On examination prior to entry on active duty in July 1944, blood pressure readings of 120/80 and 122/80 were recorded. In December 1945, the veteran was seen for a sore throat and a blood pressure reading of 140/105 was recorded. When the veteran was examined in January 1946, the blood pressure readings were 144/90 and 140/90. On examination in March 1946, the readings were 128/92 and 140/90. When the veteran was exmained prior to separation in October 1946, the blood pressure readings were 144/96 and 144/100. A report of an August 1950 examination for retention in the reserves shows blood pressure readings of 146/86, 148/86, and 150/86. Service connection is granted for disabilities that result from a disease contracted during service. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1110; 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(a). Giving the veteran the benefit of the doubt, the evidence indicates that he incurred cardiovascular disease as a result of service. His service medical records are negative with respect to any diagnosis of a cardiovascular disability. A diagnosis is not, however, required as mere manifestations during service of a disability diagnosed subsequent to service will suffice. 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(d). While one of two blood pressure readings was borderline hypertensive when the veteran was examined prior to service in March 1944, the readings were clearly normal in July 1944. The remainder of the blood pressure diastolic readings recorded from December 1945 through October 1946 were either borderline hypertensive or definitely hypertensive. While the diastolic readings at the time of a reserve examination in August 1950 were within normal limits, the veteran has testified that he was on medication by that time. The veteran testified at a VA hearing in October 1992 that the examiner at the time of his separation told him that he had hypertension, and that he should be hospitalized for treatment, but he declined because he wanted to be separated so he could return home. He stated that he saw a private physician after his separation, that the physician diagnosed hypertension, that he was placed on medication, and that he had taken medication ever since. He indicated that he was unable to submit copies of outpatient treatment records for the period of 1946 through 1969 because the private physicians who had treated him were deceased and their records were no longer available. In lieu of the treatment reports, he submitted statements from several witnesses, including his spouse and several friends, attesting that he had taken high blood pressure medication since his separation from service. The veteran currently has coronary artery disease according to copies of private outpatient treatment records that were submitted, which reflect treatment since November 1979 for such disease. While the absence of pertinent treatment records for the period from the time of service separation to 1979 is noted, the Board finds a progression of abnormal, increasing blood pressure readings during service. Based upon the foregoing, the Board finds by giving the veteran the benefit of the doubt that the evidence supports granting service connection for cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease. 38 U.S.C.A. § 1110; 38 C.F.R. § 3.303. ORDER Entitlement to service connection for cardiovascular disease including coronary artery disease is granted. JAMES R. ANTHONY Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___ (1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be assigned to an individual member of the Board for a determination. This proceeding has been assigned to an individual member of the Board. NOTICE OF APPELLATE RIGHTS: Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7266 (West 1991), a decision of the Board of Veterans' Appeals granting less than the complete benefit, or benefits, sought on appeal is appealable to the United States Court of Veterans Appeals within 120 days from the date of mailing of notice of the decision, provided that a Notice of Disagreement concerning an issue which was before the Board was filed with the agency of original jurisdiction on or after November 18, 1988. Veterans' Judicial Review Act, Pub. L. No. 100-687, § 402 (1988). The date which appears on the face of this decision constitutes the date of mailing and the copy of this decision which you have received is your notice of the action taken on your appeal by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.