The Veteran's claim for service connection for organic heart disease, including pericarditis and rheumatic heart disease is part of the underlying claim for an increased evaluation for myocarditis. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for organic heart disease is dismissed as it is already covered by the existing claim.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's service-connected disability encompasses pericarditis, rheumatic heart disease, and myocarditis, which are all part of the same condition. Therefore, any separate claims for these conditions would be redundant under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- Organic Heart Disease, Myocarditis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0938554
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 0938554.
What this means for you
A dismissal means the Board did not decide the issue on its merits — usually because it was withdrawn or had become moot. It says more about procedure than about whether a claim like this can win.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for myocarditis as the Veteran's current diagnosis of viral myocarditis is not related to his active duty service, including Gulf War environmental exposures.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including IBS, gingivitis, myocarditis, abnormal heart (irregular heartbeat), muscle pain right hip flexors, muscle pain back, right knee disability, and exposure to hantavirus. The evidence did not show a current diagnosis of any of the claimed disabilities during the course of this appeal.
- Dismissed
The Board dismissed all claims for service connection and an increased rating due to the lack of new and relevant evidence, except for sinusitis which was not readjudicated.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, myocarditis, and a seizure disorder due to insufficient medical evidence regarding toxic exposures during service.
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