The Veteran's heart disability, including arrhythmia, is service connected and rated at 100% since April 15, 2013. The claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent prior to December 3, 2013 was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for such a higher rating. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's arrhythmia is secondary to his service-connected rheumatic heart disease and thus service connected. His current METs level does not warrant a higher rating, nor do his other conditions (valve replacement or pacemaker implantation/reimplantation).
- Claimed conditions
- rheumatic heart disease, arrhythmia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 60%
- Decision date
- September 16, 2016
- Citation
- 1636322
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 1636322.
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's service connection claims for hypertension, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, GERD, Barrett's esophagus, and arrhythmia are remanded due to pre-decisional errors in obtaining necessary medical opinions.
- Denied
The Board denied the claims for service connection due to lack of new and relevant evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error and further examination.
- Granted
The Veteran's claim for service connection of heart conditions was granted with an effective date of June 11, 2020. The claim had been continuously pursued since the receipt of a VA Form 21-0966 on that date.
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