The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, finding that his preexisting congenital aortic defect did not worsen during service and that any coronary artery disease was first identified several years after separation from active duty.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that the veteran's preexisting congenital aortic defect did not undergo an increase in severity during service and that any coronary artery disease was first diagnosed several years after his separation from service, thus failing to meet the criteria for service connection due to aggravation or progression of a pre-existing condition.
- Claimed conditions
- Congenital Aortic Defect, Coronary Artery Disease
- How they argued it
- Aggravation of a pre-existing condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 11, 2002
- Citation
- 0217920
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 0217920.
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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