The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and bilateral total knee replacements, finding that his heart disease is not related to service or a service-connected disability, and his knee disability is not due to a disease or injury in active service.
The deciding factor: Service connection was denied because the Veteran's current heart condition (idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy) is not shown to be causally linked to exposure to asbestos during service or as secondary to his service-connected lung disability (asbestosis).
- Claimed conditions
- Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- June 11, 2013
- Citation
- 1319023
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 1319023.
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 Veteran's death was not caused by a service-connected or eligible for service connection disability, and the Board denied service connection for the cause of death.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's appeal is REMANDED to the RO for further development and consideration of his claim for service connection for a heart condition secondary to PTSD and/or diabetes mellitus, including whether it was caused or made worse by his military service.
- Denied
The Board found that the veteran's cause of death, idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy and diabetes mellitus, was not caused or aggravated by his service-connected schizophrenia.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.