The Board found that there is no clear and unmistakable evidence to show that the Veteran's current heart disability was aggravated by service, nor does he have a currently diagnosed heart disability related to his military service. The claim for service connection for a heart disability has been denied.
The deciding factor: There is no clear and unmistakable evidence of aggravation during service or any currently diagnosed heart condition that is related to service.
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic valvulitis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 29, 2016
- Citation
- 1602949
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 1602949.
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 Veteran's claim for service connection for heart condition, finding that his rheumatic valvulitis preexisted service and was not aggravated by service. The Board also found no evidence of any increase in severity beyond natural progression during service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a medical opinion to determine if his rheumatic valvulitis preexisted service and was not aggravated by service, and whether he currently has a heart disorder attributable to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for a medical opinion to determine if his rheumatic valvulitis preexisted service, if there is clear and unmistakable evidence that it did not permanently increase in severity during service, and if it is at least as likely as not attributable to service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private medical records from Dr. Yuviencho in Cape Coral, Florida.
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