The Veteran's atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is currently rated at 30 percent after March 3, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating as there were no episodes of acute congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's METs level was 1 to 3 METs, and the VA examiner found that his heart condition was not the cause of it. There were no episodes of acute congestive heart failure in the past year or left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction of 30 to 50 percent.
- Claimed conditions
- atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- April 16, 2019
- Citation
- 19129174
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 remands the claim for a heart condition to obtain an addendum opinion from a VA clinician regarding whether the Veteran's current heart condition is related to service, including in-service treatment for hypertension.
- Partly granted
The Board granted an initial 30 percent rating for the Veteran's service-connected cardiovascular disability, but denied a higher rating from December 15, 2022, through September 14, 2025.
- Partly granted
The Veteran was granted a temporary rating of 100 percent for his heart disability from March 1, 2021 to June 1, 2021, but the claim for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent prior to and after this period was denied.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicide agents during service in Vietnam.
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