The Board found that the veteran's heart condition, including congestive heart failure and severely dilated cardiomyopathy, was not directly incurred in service. The Board also determined that there is no evidence linking PTSD to his current heart conditions.
The deciding factor: There was no objective medical evidence or peer review journals showing a correlation between PTSD and congestive heart failure.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart Condition, Congestive Heart Failure, Severely Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- September 5, 2007
- Citation
- 0727831
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 0727831.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination focusing on his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his eligibility for benefits, as well as his need for aid and attendance.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of 100 percent for CAD was granted effective November 28, 2023. The effective date is based on the date of a VA examination showing the increase in disability.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Congestive Heart Failure with Atrial Fibrillation with AICD and Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), finding that there was no evidence of direct service connection, and that the conditions were not caused or aggravated by service-connected OSA.
- Denied
The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for congestive heart failure, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service. The Veteran's private cardiologist and VA examiner both opined against a link between his current condition and service.
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