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 assigned
- None in this 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 vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 19133164.
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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.