The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an abnormal mitral valve, finding that it did not begin during active service or is otherwise related to a disease or injury incurred in service. The Board also found that the abnormal mitral valve was not secondary to his service-connected chronic adjustment-like disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence does not support a direct link between the Veteran's abnormal mitral valve and his military service, nor does it support a finding of secondary service connection based on his service-connected mental health condition.
- Claimed conditions
- abnormal mitral valve
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- April 29, 2019
- Citation
- 19133164
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,011 · Granted: 24% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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 19133164.
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: Granted
The Veteran's hypertension, abnormal mitral valve, arteriosclerotic heart disease, and arrhythmia were granted service connection as direct service connection. The effective date is not specified.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic bronchitis, chronic sinusitis, and abnormal mitral valve due to outstanding treatment records and further examination.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in its previous decision, including failing to address the significance of the Veteran's in-service ECG findings and not obtaining opinions for direct service connection. The case is now returned for further development.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for abnormal mitral valve, to include as secondary to congestive heart failure, is dismissed. The claim for service connection for a sleep disorder has been reopened and the appeal is granted. The appeal for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for asthma including pulmonary hypertension (previously rated as pulmonary hypertension with fatigue) is dismissed. The appeal for service connection for sleep apnea, to include as secondary to service-connected heart disease, is remanded.
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