The Board found no evidence of a cardiovascular disorder during service and denied the claim for service connection, finding that the veteran's current condition is more likely due to tobacco abuse.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner opined that the veteran's peripheral vascular disease was more likely due to his long-standing tobacco abuse and other factors, not related to his active duty or INACDUTRA service.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 10, 2006
- Citation
- 0607029
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.
- Dismissed
The appeal is dismissed due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of the appeal.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a left knee disability and denied service connection for a cardiovascular disorder, vertigo, back disability, and left shoulder disability.
- Partly granted
The veteran's claim for service connection of a cardiovascular disorder was denied, but they were granted TDIU due to PTSD.
- Partly granted
The Board granted the application to reopen the claim of service connection for sleep apnea and remanded other claims for further development.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.