The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability and lung cancer due to tobacco use in service or secondary to nicotine dependence are not well-grounded.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not establish a link between the disabilities and service, including nicotine dependence which is considered a disease but not related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart disability, Lung cancer
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 15, 2000
- Citation
- 0012787
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0012787.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disability, headaches, a back disability, heart disability, and residuals of a stroke, as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to the Veteran's active service or caused by his service-connected left ear disabilities.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a heart disability, finding no current diagnosis and that the Veteran's reported symptoms were not supported by medical evidence. The issues of service connection for a low back disability and entitlement to TDIU are remanded.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's liver, lung, brain, and bone cancers in relation to his service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a sleep disability and a heart disability, as well as a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to July 28, 2022.
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