The Board denied service connection for the veteran's aortic valve disease, chronic atrial fibrillation, and diminished cardiac reserve with aortic valve replacement and pacemaker implant as these conditions were not incurred or aggravated in service and are not proximately due to his service-connected esophageal stricture with Barrett's esophagus.
The deciding factor: The VA medical records showed that the veteran first developed atrial fibrillation in 1988, which was unrelated to his service-connected esophageal stricture. The examiner indicated that the veteran's aortic valve disease and atrial fibrillation were not caused by his upper GI disease.
- Claimed conditions
- aortic valve disease, chronic atrial fibrillation, diminished cardiac reserve
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 30, 2006
- Citation
- 0637081
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 0637081.
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.
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- Remanded (sent back)
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- Dismissed
The Board dismissed the veteran's appeals for a higher rating and TDIU before January 21, 2017, because these issues had already been decided in another appeal.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including his heart disability and related surgeries, prevent him from obtaining and sustaining gainful employment. The Board finds that the evidence is sufficient for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.
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