The Board denied service connection for a chronic heart disability and obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to a chronic heart disability due to lack of current diagnosis, no in-service injury or disease related to the conditions, and insufficient evidence linking the conditions to service.
The deciding factor: There is no current diagnosis of a chronic heart disability and no in-service injury or disease linked to the conditions. The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not found to be related to his heart disability.
- Claimed conditions
- chronic heart disability, ischemic heart disease (IHD), congestive heart failure (CHF)
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- Agent Orange / herbicides
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 18, 2018
- Citation
- 18103575
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 18103575.
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.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's heart condition, finding that it is secondary to his service-connected PTSD.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for cardiomyopathy and an initial compensable rating for a scar from a pacemaker implant are being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his congestive heart failure.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected ischemic heart disease (IHD) and coronary artery disease (CAD) are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical opinions and ensuring competency of previous examiners.
- Denied
The Veteran's TDIU was granted effective November 21, 2024. The effective date for the initial 70% rating for adjustment disorder is February 11, 2018.
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