The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cardiac, respiratory, and surgical scar disabilities are not related to his active service. The VA examiner found no evidence of MVP in service and opined that it was not at least as likely as not that the murmur noted during service represented mitral valve disease.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a finding that the Veteran's systolic apical murmur noted at separation from active service was indicative of MVP, which would have been recognized and documented if present.
- Claimed conditions
- Cardiac disability, Respiratory disability, Residual surgical scars
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 27, 2013
- Citation
- 1331316
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 1331316.
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.
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The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for a cardiac disability and diabetes mellitus, type II, due to asbestos exposure. The VA will obtain additional medical opinions to address whether these conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service asbestos exposure.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a respiratory disability and a left shoulder disability, finding that there was no evidence of an in-service event or injury resulting in these conditions.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for PTSD, CFS, and a respiratory disability. The claims are being remanded to allow for further development.
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