The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for entitlement to service connection for a heart disorder, as there was no evidence that the condition was present in service or within one year of discharge and it was not etiologically related to service.
The deciding factor: The December 2007 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's transient atrial fibrillation/paroxysmal atrial tachycardia is more likely than not caused by or related to hypertension and left atrial enlargement. The August 2008 VA examiner opined that the Veteran's currently demonstrated paroxysmal atrial tachycardia and mild hypertensive heart disease are caused by or related to essential hypertension and not caused by or related to military service.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 12, 2009
- Citation
- 0905262
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.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for a heart disorder, specifically atrial fibrillation, due to exposure to herbicide agents during active duty service in the Republic of Vietnam.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for heart disorder, stroke residuals, sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) to obtain addendum opinions addressing specific risk factors.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection and increased ratings due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus type II, and hypertension, as well as entitlement to a special monthly pension, due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service exposure to herbicide agents.
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