The Board found that the Veteran's heart disorder, including cardiomyopathy and hypertensive heart disease, did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and was not shown to be attributable to any incident or event of his period of service, to include as a result of his exposure to herbicide in service.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's claimed heart disorder is less likely than not incurred in, or caused by, his claimed in-service injury, event or illness due to lack of medical records documenting symptoms related to cardiomyopathy during service and no evidence linking current condition to herbicide exposure.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disorder, cardiomyopathy, hypertensive heart disease, left bundle branch block
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- January 31, 2018
- Citation
- 1806249
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 1806249.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection due to errors in obtaining relevant medical records and authorization for private treatment providers. The issues include heart disorder, OSA, sinusitis, lumbar spine disorder, and right knee disorder all related to Agent Orange exposure.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder, to include ischemic heart disease (IHD), finding that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and his military service. The Board noted that the Veteran did not have active military service from January 9, 1962, to July 31, 1980, and that he was not exposed to herbicide agents during his military service.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, and other conditions, rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to July 21, 2025.
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