The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a cardiovascular disease as secondary to his service-connected nicotine dependence and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The evidence did not show that the veteran had any cardiovascular disease during service or within one year after separation, nor was there any relationship between his current cardiovascular disease and his service-connected conditions.
The deciding factor: The Board found no evidence of a pre-existing cardiovascular disease in service or within one year post-service. Additionally, there was insufficient evidence to establish a connection between the veteran's current cardiovascular disease and his service-connected nicotine dependence and/or COPD.
- Claimed conditions
- cardiovascular disease, hypertension, cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- March 5, 2007
- Citation
- 0706327
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 0706327.
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
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- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension and increased rating for anxiety disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for hypertension, and the Veteran's anxiety disorder does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.
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