The Veteran's claim for increased ratings and an effective date for a reduction in his disability rating was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's current 30 percent rating for CAD is appropriate, as he has not shown congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not find evidence of chronic congestive heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction, and the Veteran’s METs level was estimated to be greater than 5 but less than 7 METs due to co-morbid conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- CAD, status-post coronary artery bypass grafting
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 30%
- Decision date
- October 18, 2019
- Citation
- 19179530
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 Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that it was at least as likely as not that elevated blood pressure and hyperlipidemia noted in service were early manifestations of CAD, which contributed to his death.
- Partly granted
The Board granted earlier effective dates for the award of service connection for CAD, type II diabetes mellitus, and prostate cancer, as well as initial ratings for CAD, linear left upper chest scar, type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and erectile dysfunction.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU from June 8, 2020, to October 25, 2023, and also denied his claim for SMC from October 26, 2023.
- Granted
The Veteran's TDIU rating is granted, effective from June 18, 2010, through June 13, 2012.
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.