The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) to include as secondary to his service-connected Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), finding that there is no consistent evidence linking PTSD and AFib in medical literature.
The deciding factor: The June 2016 VA medical opinion DBQ concluded that the Veteran's Atrial Fibrillation is less likely than not proximately due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD. The examiner noted that there is no consistent evidence in the medical literature of an association between PTSD and AFib or of an aggravation of AFib by PTSD.
- Claimed conditions
- Atrial Fibrillation (AFib)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- June 13, 2019
- Citation
- 19146117
Veterans Law Judge
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 19146117.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) and Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The VA examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not that these conditions had their onset during active service or are otherwise etiologically related to such service, including exposure to ionizing radiation and asbestos.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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