The Board found that the veteran's rheumatic heart disease with mitral insufficiency is inactive and does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show any signs of active infection, congestive heart failure, or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction less than 50 percent. The veteran's condition was found to be inactive and asymptomatic.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease with mitral insufficiency
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- December 8, 2006
- Citation
- 0638331
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 1,175 · Granted: 22% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0638331.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected rheumatic heart disease with mitral insufficiency and severe aortic stenosis is currently rated at 100 percent, effective May 14, 2008.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the reopening of the claim for service connection for cardiovascular disease as secondary to rheumatic heart disease and also denied service connection on the basis of aggravation by service-connected disability. The veteran's cardiovascular disease was not found to be aggravated by his service-connected rheumatic heart disease.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected heart disability, which includes rheumatic heart disease with mitral insufficiency and history of cardiac pacemaker implantation, warrants a 30 percent rating.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The RO remanded the case due to incomplete review of medical records and failure to consider a recent admission for congestive heart failure. The veteran's increased rating claim for rheumatic heart disease with mitral insufficiency is pending.
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