The VA determined that the veteran's heart disorders, including rheumatic heart disease and valvular heart disease, were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board found no evidence of a pre-existing condition before service or any increase in disability during service.
The deciding factor: There is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current heart disorders to his military service.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disorder, rheumatic heart disease, valvular heart disease
- How they argued it
- Not specified
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 10, 2002
- Citation
- 0204355
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 0204355.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a 100 percent rating for valvular heart disease based on MET testing showing that at a workload of 3 METs or less, the condition results in fatigue and breathlessness.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for hypertension, a heart disorder, and diabetes mellitus as the evidence did not support a positive nexus between these conditions and the Veteran's military service.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart disorder, stroke residuals, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to obtain addendum opinions addressing specific risk factors.
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