The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition due to new evidence submitted since the June 2008 rating decision. However, the Board finds that the Veteran does not have ischemic heart disease and his heart condition did not manifest during active service or within one year of separation from active service. The Board also found no evidence linking the Veteran's current heart condition to herbicide exposure in Vietnam.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's STRs do not show a diagnosis of a chronic heart condition, and there is no medical evidence showing that his current heart condition was caused by an in-service disease or injury.
- Claimed conditions
- heart condition, cardiomyopathy, congestive heart failure
- How they argued it
- Reopened with new and material evidence
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- September 19, 2014
- Citation
- 1441936
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 1441936.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart condition, including ischemic heart disease. The evidence did not support a finding of a current disability related to service.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim of service connection for PTSD was granted with an initial evaluation of 50 percent, effective September 24, 2007. The appeal regarding the heart condition and sleep disorder is denied. The Veteran's hearing loss prior to August 24, 2015, warrants a 20 percent rating.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's eligibility for PCAFC benefits is remanded due to the AOJ's failure to address whether it is in the best interest of the Veteran to participate in the program. The Board finds that the Veteran has been in need of personal care services for at least six continuous months based on an inability to perform the ADL of bathing.
- Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or substantially contributed to by any service-connected disability, and thus denied the claim for service connection for cause of death.
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