The Veteran's claim for service connection for a heart disorder and chest pain is denied as there is no evidence of a chronic ischemic cardiac condition related to his military service. The Board also found that the Veteran's current heart disorder was less likely than not caused or aggravated by his service-connected left knee disability.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner could not determine if the Veteran's current heart disorder was related to his military service due to lack of evidence and speculative nature of the opinion, and concluded it was less likely than not that the heart disorder was proximately due to or the result of his service-connected left knee disability.
- Claimed conditions
- chest pain, heart disorder, aortic valve stenosis
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- February 22, 2018
- Citation
- 1811546
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 1811546.
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.
- 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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to posttraumatic headache, insomnia, left ankle condition, lumbosacral strain (lower back), and chest pain. The appeal was dismissed as the Veteran requested withdrawal of these claims.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board has denied service connection for TBI, back strain, chest pain, foot pain, and tendonitis as there is no evidence of disease or injury incurred during active duty or training.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.