The Board found that the Veteran's current heart conditions, other than prolapsed mitral valve, are not related to his service, specifically rheumatic fever. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's coronary artery disease or hypertension is due to his in-service rheumatic fever.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided do not establish a clear link between the Veteran's in-service rheumatic fever and his current heart conditions, including coronary artery disease and hypertension.
- Claimed conditions
- Coronary artery disease, Hypertension
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 0%
- Decision date
- December 9, 2009
- Citation
- 0946690
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 0946690.
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.
- Denied
The Board denied the claim of service connection for hypertension, finding that it did not manifest during service and is not causally related to the Veteran's exposure to herbicides or service.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and active duty service or herbicide exposure.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for hypertension and has remanded the issue of an increased rating for skin condition.
- Granted
The Board has restored the Veteran's 10% rating for hypertension effective December 1, 2025 and denied a rating in excess of 10%. The reduction from 10% to noncompensable was not proper.
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