The Veteran's heart condition, diagnosed as valvular and hypertensive heart disease, is granted service connection. An initial rating of 10 percent for right thumb strain is also granted. The TDIU claim is remanded.
The deciding factor: Service connection was established based on direct evidence linking the heart condition to active duty service.
- Claimed conditions
- heart condition, valvular heart disease, hypertensive heart disease
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- October 3, 2019
- Citation
- 19176136
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Granted
The Veteran is granted a 100 percent rating for valvular heart disease based on MET testing showing that at a workload of 3 METs or less, the condition results in fatigue and breathlessness.
- 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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for GERD, a heart condition, hypertension, a kidney condition, and obstructive sleep apnea as there is no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions or that they are etiologically linked to the Veteran's military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for a new medical opinion to address whether the Appellant's heart condition had onset during his period of ACDUTRA service.
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