The Board denied the Veteran's service connection claims for a heart disability and gastrointestinal disorder, finding that the preponderance of evidence did not support these claims.
The deciding factor: The medical opinions provided by VA examiners and physicians were against the claim, citing lack of causation or aggravation between the service-connected conditions and the disabilities in question.
- Claimed conditions
- heart disability, gastrointestinal disorder
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 12, 2020
- Citation
- 20053569
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 20053569.
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 was granted service connection effective August 10, 2022. The heart disability was granted secondary to the hypertension.,An initial rating of 30% for the heart disability was granted in May 2023 and increased to 60% since October 22, 2024.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for mental depression/anxiety, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and gastrointestinal disorder are remanded due to the need for VA examinations and an adequate medical opinion.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether the Veteran's gastrointestinal or esophageal disability was caused or aggravated by service or any related conditions.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for a heart disability, finding that it is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.
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