The Board denied service connection for a heart disability in March 1952, and the veteran appealed. The RO granted service connection for aortic regurgitation and status post aortic valve prosthesis effective April 1, 1989. The veteran requested an earlier effective date based on his October 1951 affidavit, but this was not considered as it did not meet the requirements of an informal claim.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of active rheumatic fever or other active cardiac pathology during service and denied service connection for a heart disability. The veteran's request for an earlier effective date based on his October 1951 affidavit was not considered as it did not meet the requirements of an informal claim.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disease, aortic regurgitation, status post aortic valve prosthesis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2001
- Citation
- 0124362
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0124362.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are being remanded due to the need for VA examinations to determine if these conditions are related to his exposure to contaminants in the water supply at Camp Lejeune during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, and low back pain due to potential errors in duty to assist. The AOJ is required to verify the Veteran's alleged exposure to herbicide agents and obtain private treatment records.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for artery disease, COPD, diabetes, and heart disease due to potential exposure to herbicide agents during his active duty.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and he did not have the required wartime service for pension benefits.
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