The veteran seeks service connection for heart disorder, including a heart murmur and related conditions. The RO denied the claim based on the finding that a heart murmur is not a disability for VA purposes. The case is remanded to determine if any current diagnosed heart disorder was incurred or aggravated by active military service.
The deciding factor: The veteran's service treatment records show a Grade II/VI systolic ejection murmur, and post-service medical records include impressions of mild mitral regurgitation, mild tricuspid regurgitation, and trace aortic regurgitation. The RO denied the claim based on the finding that a heart murmur is not a disability for VA purposes.
- Claimed conditions
- Heart murmur, Mild mitral regurgitation, Mild tricuspid regurgitation, Trace aortic regurgitation
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- November 13, 2008
- Citation
- 0839089
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 0839089.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection of a cardiac disability due to insufficient evidence and need for clarification on whether the heart murmur is a congenital defect or disease, as well as potential exposure during active service.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart murmur and a left foot heel spur, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a heart condition, to include a heart murmur and hypertension, due to incomplete evidence regarding the nature of the Veteran's heart murmur and potential service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the matter for an addendum VA medical opinion to address whether the Veteran's service-connected conditions have caused or aggravated a heart murmur.
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