The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for atrial fibrillation with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy and residuals of malaria, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.
The deciding factor: The Board determined that there was insufficient medical evidence linking the Veteran's current heart disabilities to his military service or presumed herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claims were denied based on lack of probative medical opinion supporting the connection.
- Claimed conditions
- atrial fibrillation, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy
- How they argued it
- Presumptive (no nexus needed)
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 3, 2020
- Citation
- A20017915
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.
- Remanded (sent back)
The appeal regarding the Veteran's entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for atrial fibrillation is remanded due to unclear evidence on whether continuous medication is required for its control.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for chronic kidney disease, atrial fibrillation, hiatal hernia, COPD, and prostate cancer as a result of toxic exposure during the Veteran's military service.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including tension headaches, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and a bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also denied an initial compensable rating for the Veteran's headache disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claim for service connection for atrial fibrillation to obtain a medical opinion under the PACT Act regarding the possibility of a nexus between the claimed disability and in-service exposure to toxins.
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