The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disability is denied. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection, and there is no competent medical evidence linking his current heart condition to his military service or any service-connected disabilities.
The deciding factor: There was no in-service diagnosis or treatment for a heart disorder, and the earliest post-service medical evidence showing a heart disability began approximately 34 years after separation from service. The veteran's diabetes mellitus is not shown to have caused or aggravated his current heart condition.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, irregular heartbeat
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 10, 2008
- Citation
- 0842410
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 0842410.
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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