The veteran was granted service connection for aortic stenosis due to rheumatic fever during service. Service connection for degenerative changes at L4-5 and L5-S1 is denied as there is no evidence of such condition in service or within one year post-service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner found that the veteran had rheumatic fever during service, which resulted in aortic stenosis. The examiner also noted that ASHD was not related to the rheumatic fever and occurred over many years unrelated to service.
- Claimed conditions
- aortic stenosis, atherosclerotic heart disease (ASHD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 5, 2006
- Citation
- 0600143
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Dismissed
The appeal as to the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart condition was dismissed due to lack of timely notice of disagreement and new and material evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for a heart disability, including bicuspid aortic valve disease, systolic murmur, coronary artery disease, and aortic stenosis, due to an incomplete medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical examination, and requires a new one that complies with the December 2019 remand directives.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly decide the claims, including obtaining relevant medical records and addressing the etiology of the Veteran's aortic valve stenosis.
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