The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected valvular heart disease, finding that his current symptoms are due to his atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease and not his valvular disease. The veteran is currently rated at 30 percent for this condition.
The deciding factor: The veteran's current symptoms of mild mitral regurgitation and mild to moderate aortic insufficiency do not warrant a higher rating as the service-connected rheumatic heart disease has been inactive for several decades and does not meet the criteria for recurrence or active rheumatic fever.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease, atherosclerotic coronary vascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- August 28, 2001
- Citation
- 0121690
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 0121690.
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
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