The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an undiagnosed Gulf War illness manifested by cardiovascular signs or symptoms, finding that there was no evidence of a diagnosed disability and attributing any reported symptoms to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder.
The deciding factor: The VA examinations did not find any underlying diagnosis for the Veteran's cardiovascular symptoms, which were attributed to his service-connected PTSD. The Board found this evidence insufficient to establish service connection on a direct basis.
- Claimed conditions
- mitral valve prolapse
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 15, 2019
- Citation
- 19103557
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.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for basal cell carcinoma and a higher initial disability rating of 70 percent for other specified trauma-and-stressor-related disorder, while denying increased ratings for lumbosacral strain, right lower radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, chronic rhinitis, tension headaches, and mitral valve prolapse.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's service-connected mitral valve prolapse was denied a rating in excess of 60 percent prior to January 11, 2008 and from July 12, 2008 to December 22, 2024. However, the Board granted a 100 percent rating for this condition from January 11, 2008 to July 11, 2008 and from December 23, 2024 onwards.
- Dismissed
The appeal for service connection for tinnitus, depression, mitral valve prolapse, and shortness of breath was dismissed due to claims processing errors. The claim for service connection for migraine headaches was denied.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's petition to readjudicate the claim of entitlement for service connection for mitral valve prolapse as new and relevant evidence had not been received.
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.