The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for rheumatic or valvular heart disease as secondary to his service-connected residuals of rheumatic fever and a claim for an increased rating for his service-connected residuals of rheumatic fever. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the current heart disorders to the in-service episode of rheumatic fever, and thus denied both claims.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not support a finding that the veteran's current heart disorders were related to his in-service rheumatic fever.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic or valvular heart disease, heart disorder
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 5, 2006
- Citation
- 0637726
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 0637726.
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart disorder, stroke residuals, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to obtain addendum opinions addressing specific risk factors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension, as well as entitlement to a special monthly pension, due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
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