The Veteran's heart murmur was noted at service entrance but did not increase in severity during service. The cerebrovascular disability is not considered to have been incurred or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of death is denied.
The deciding factor: The heart murmur was noted at service entrance but did not increase in severity during service, and there is no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam or service-connected disability contributing to death.
- Claimed conditions
- pulmonic systolic physiological heart murmur, cerebrovascular disability
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2015
- Citation
- 1521736
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1521736.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and consideration of new VA treatment records.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is found to be the cause of his cerebrovascular disability. His PTSD also causes total occupational and social impairment, warranting a 100% rating for PTSD.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine if the Veteran's cerebrovascular disability, including a calcarine fissure stroke and cerebrovascular disease, is related to his service-connected coronary artery disease or exposure to Agent Orange during military service.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board has determined that the Veteran's current cerebrovascular disability is not related to his active service, including in-service headaches and medications. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection.
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