The Board found that the veteran's current heart and circulatory disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor is it related to nicotine dependence. The claim for TDIU remains pending as there is insufficient evidence to determine if his disabilities render him unemployable.
The deciding factor: The VA examination reports did not establish a direct link between the veteran's current heart and circulatory disorder and his military service or nicotine dependence, thus denying service connection.
- Claimed conditions
- heart and circulatory disorder, atriial fibrillation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 26, 2004
- Citation
- 0413534
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 0413534.
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 the Veteran's heart disability including atrial fibrillation, stable angina, supraventricular premature complexes, status post implantable loop recorder, status post endovascular surgery due to aortic dissection, and palpitations, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea due to PTSD and/or heart conditions, including a need for additional opinions on whether these conditions have caused or aggravated his obstructive sleep apnea.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's supraventricular tachycardia, including considering all applicable toxic exposure risk activities. The VA must also obtain and associate with the claims file a copy of the May 2019 audiogram.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's cardiac disability, diagnosed as supraventricular arrhythmia (supraventricular tachycardia) and atrial fibrillation. The decision also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral deep vein thrombosis due to a duty to assist error.
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